O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces NY in homestand finale

After splitting two games, the Orioles and New York Yankees wrap up their three-game series this afternoon at Camden Yards. The Yankees won 7-4 Monday and the Orioles won 7-6 on Tuesday night before Wednesday's rainout.

Manny Machado's two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave the Orioles the 7-6 win as they pulled out their 12th walk-off win of the season. Machado hit his third walk-off homer since Aug. 18. Mark Trumbo, Welington Castillo and Trey Mancini have also hit walk-off homers for the Orioles this year.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Machado became the fourth player in Orioles history to hit three walk-off home runs in a season joining Eddie Murray (1978), Fred Lynn (1985), and Rafael Palmeiro (1998). It marked the first walkoff home run by an Oriole against the Yankees since Nate McLouth did so off of Vidal Nuno on May 21, 2013.

At 71-68, the Orioles begin the day one game behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card spot with Los Angeles between both teams, a ½-game back of the Twins. This is the last contest of a 10-game homestand and the Orioles are 6-3. The Yankees at 74-64 lead for the first AL wild card and are four games back of Boston for the AL East division lead.

The Orioles will try to extend an impressive streak this afternoon. They have won 11 consecutive home series against the Yankees, a streak that dates to September of 2013. They are 25-10 at Oriole Park in that time, going 7-2 at home against the Yankees in 2014 and 2015, 6-3 last year and 5-3 so far this season.

The Orioles Kevin Gausman (10-9, 4.79 ERA) makes his team-leading 30th start of the season this afternoon. He has thrown back-to-back scoreless outings against Boston and Toronto. In those games he pitched 13 2/3 allowing nine hits with four walks and 13 strikeouts. That lowered his ERA from 5.25 and was the third time since June 27 he has thrown two consecutive scoreless games.

Over his past nine starts, Gausman has seven quality starts, allowing two runs or fewer seven times. In that run, he is 5-2 with a 2.03 ERA. Gausman has recorded 12 quality starts for the season and the Orioles are 15-14 in his 29 starts.

Right-hander Sonny Gray (2-4, 3.16 ERA) will make his 23rd start of the year and his seventh with the Yankees. He has four quality starts for New York. In his last outing on Friday versus Boston he went seven innings and gave up five hits and four runs, including three home runs.

In three road starts as a Yankee, he is 0-3 with an ERA of 3.18. With New York, lefty batters are hitting .169 against Gray, right-handers are batting .233 and he yields an average of .208 when pitching with runners in scoring position.

Over his last 12 starts overall, Gray is 6-6 with a 2.24 ERA, the fourth-lowest ERA in the majors in that span, which dates to June 25.

Most AL wins since 2012
515 - Orioles
509 - Yankees
504 - Rangers
503 - Indians