O's game blog: Hellickson on mound in series finale

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Orioles can get back to the .500 mark if they win today at the Oakland Coliseum. They have taken two of three in this series. If they can make it three of four, they will leave Oakland with a record of 59-59.

The Orioles bashed eight doubles among 20 hits in last night's 12-5 win. In this series they have scored 23 runs on 40 hits with 14 doubles, a triple and five home runs.

The Orioles scored seven runs in the first inning last night, going 8-for-10 at-bat in the inning. The seven runs in the inning was as much as they had scored in any one game previously on this road trip. They are 3-3 on this trip and 23-36 in road games for the season.

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson makes his third start with the Orioles today. He is 1-1 with ERA of 2.08 and has pitched 13 innings, allowing 11 hits and three runs with two walks and 12 strikeouts. Hellickson pitched seven shutout innings July 2 versus Kansas City in his Orioles' debut and gave up three runs in six innings on Tuesday at Anaheim in a 3-2 loss to the Angels.

Over 22 combined starts for the Orioles and Phillies, he is 7-6 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.229 WHIP. He is averaging 2.3 walks per every nine innings and 5.5 strikeouts.

He has recorded 10 quality starts for the season and his teams are 11-11 in his starts. In his career in the second half, Hellickson is 31-33 with an ERA of 3.75. He has made six career starts against the Oakland Athletics, going 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.059 WHIP.

His mound opponent this afternoon is right-hander Kendall Graveman (2-3, 4.97 ERA). Graveman has made 10 starts and his last two were not good. He pitched 7 1/3 combined innings versus the Giants and Mariners giving up 15 hits and 11 runs (10 earned).

On the season he has thrown 54 1/3 innings yielding 61 hits, including seven home runs, with 16 walks, 34 strikeouts and a batting average against of .284.

Left-handed batters are hitting .296 against him, right-handers are batting .274 and he allows an average of .265 when pitching with runners in scoring position. The first inning has been a terrible one for him with an ERA of 10.80 and an average against of .364.

A's starting pitchers have allowed four runs or more in 13 of the last 15 games with a rotation ERA of 7.83 in that span.