O's game blog: It's Gausman and Richards on the mound at the Yard

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

July 30, 2014, 8:26am

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When Kevin Gausman gets the start tonight against the Los Angeles Angels, he will face yet another top opposing pitcher. Obviously, Gausman doesn't bat, but he has sure faced quite of list of starters pitching against him this year.

The list includes Justin Verlander, Sonny Gray twice, Mark Buerhle, Alex Cobb, Jake Peavy and Felix Hernandez. The Orioles are a very impressive 5-2 in those games.

Gausman (4-3, 3.67 ERA) didn't get the win on Friday when he pitched against Seattle's Hernandez, but the Orioles won that game.

The rookie right-hander has allowed one or fewer earned runs six times in his last eight starts since he gave up five against Detroit in May in his first big league start of the season. He is 4-2 with an ERA of 3.00 in those eight outings.

Gausman will be making his first career start against the Angels.

Right-hander Garrett Richards (11-3, 2.62 ERA) is his latest tough mound opponent. Richards ranks sixth in the American League in ERA and second in opponent batting average at .196. He is one off the league lead in wins.

Richards had a career-best seven-game win streak end in his last start on Thursday when he gave up four runs in six innings against Detroit.

But in 10 starts since June 1, Richards is 7-1 with an ERA of 1.65. Lefty batters hit just .188 off him and right-handed batters are hitting .209.

Since the beginning of the 2012 season, the Orioles rank third in the American League, and seventh in the majors, with a .552 winning percentage (237-192), trailing just Oakland (256-174, .595) and Detroit (238-189, .557).