O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces James Paxton

The Orioles host the Seattle Mariners tonight in the second game of a four-game series and a seven-game homestand. They lost 5-3 last night in the series opener. It was the Orioles 12th loss in their past 13 home games.

The Orioles (23-54) have lost 13 of 17, 20 of 26 and 34 of their past 49 games. They are 11-24 at home and 12-30 on the road. Seattle (48-31) is in second place in the American League West, 3 1/2 games behind division-leading Houston. If the season ended today, Boston and Seattle would meet in the AL wild card game. The Mariners' win last night was just their second in the last eight games.

The Orioles went hitless last night, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. In their recent series at Washington, they went 0-for-17 with RISP. They then went 10-for-21 in the first two games of their series at Atlanta. Now they are 0-for-8 the past two games in that stat. So that is quite an up-and-down run over the last seven games. In the five games of this stretch - in which they went a combined 0-for-25 with RISP - they scored 18 runs. In the two games they went 10-for-21, they scored 17 runs versus the Braves.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.38 ERA) gets the start for the Orioles tonight. Gausman has allowed seven earned runs in 18 1/3 over his past three starts for a 3.44 ERA. In seven home starts, he is 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA.

Gausman has been a poor pitcher in six day-game starts, going 1-3 with a 7.12 ERA. But in nine night-game starts, he is 2-3 with a 2.95 ERA. Tonight he is making his 24th career appearance against an American League West team. He owns a career record of 7-11 against the division, with a 3.77 ERA and 14 quality starts. In his lone start against the division this season, on May 5 at Oakland, he tossed nine scoreless innings.

Left-hander James Paxton (6-2, 3.72 ERA) will make his 17th start for Seattle. Paxon's last two starts have not been good, as he has allowed 10 runs and 14 hits, including three homers in 7 1/3 innings. After he went 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in May, he is 2-1 with a 5.73 ERA in four June starts. In nine road starts, he is 3-1 with a 3.56 ERA.

On May 8 at Toronto, Paxton pitched the sixth no-hitter in Seattle Mariners history. Paxton threw 99 pitches in the no-hitter in his native Canada against a Blue Jays team that once drafted him, although he did not sign. He became the second Canadian to pitch a no-hitter. The other was Dick Fowler of the Philadelphia A's, in 1945.

Paxton has some wild reverse splits. Lefty batters hit .352 with an OPS of .981 against this southpaw, while right-handed batters have hit .186/.570 this year. For his career, lefties hit .291 and right-handers .226 against him.

Draft picks added: The Orioles have signed two more selections from the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. They have added catcher Cody Roberts, their 11th round pick from the University of North Carolina. Roberts is considered a very good defensive catcher with a big arm, and he's been assigned to short-season Single-A Aberdeen.

The Orioles also signed infielder Clay Fisher, their 12th round pick from UC-Santa Barbara. Fisher is coming back from Tommy John surgery. The Orioles have now signed 27 draft picks.