O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces the Twins

The Orioles are 0-4 on a seven-game road trip and look to begin to change that tonight. They play at Minnesota in the second game of a four-game series that leads into the All-Star break.

Minnesota won 6-4 last night scoring six runs in the last of the third off Dylan Bundy. The Orioles had 11 hits but went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They have scored just seven runs on this trip, batting .148 (4-for-27) with runners in scoring position. Bundy is 2-3 with an ERA of 8.53 over his past five starts.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-7, 5.61 ERA) has thrown back-to-back scoreless starts for the Orioles. He went 5 1/3 without allowing a run versus Toronto on June 27. Then last Sunday he allowed two singles over seven scoreless on 112 pitches against Tampa Bay.

After that game, Gausman talked about his strong outing against the Rays.

"You know, just fastball command (was key)," Gausman said. "Being able to put guys away with it also. Had a good feel for my split and my changeup. Even my slider, too. Just think my first-pitch strikes were important, getting ahead always helps.

"I think you only get confidence from success. You have to have that first. Feel like I'm throwing the ball well right now and just gotta keep it going," Gausman added. "Had a great second-half last year and looking forward to that and knowing I'm the type of guy that gets better as the season goes on."

"That was fun to watch," manager Buck Showalter said. "That was impressive. I thought the seventh was the most impressive inning he had. The secondary stuff was really good today. It was probably the best secondary stuff he's had this year."

So Gausman has 12 1/3 scoreless over his past two starts. His ERA is 1.50 his last three starts, lowering his season mark nearly a run from 6.60 to 5.61.

Right hander Felix Jorge (1-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his second MLB start for the Twins. The 23-year-old from the Dominican went five innings allowing seven hits and three runs on Saturday against Kansas City.

Jorge was called up from Double-A where he went 8-1 with a 3.26 ERA over 85 2/3 innings. He walked 22 and fanned 61. Ranked as the No. 8 Twins prospect heading into the season by Baseball America, Jorge throws a fastball that can touch the mid 90s and has a plus changeup and a slider.

The Twins (44-41) are 7-7 against the AL East, but that includes a 4-0 mark against Baltimore. Minnesota is 19-26 at home and 27-5 when they get a quality start.

The Orioles (40-45) are a season-worst five games under the .500 mark with four losses in a row and six of the last seven games. They are 15-29 in road games.

On the farm today, the Orioles 2017 third-round pick, right-hander Michael Baumann moves from the Gulf Coast League to short season Single-A Aberdeen.

Meanwhile, Double-A Bowie outfielder Cedric Mullins has gone back on the seven-day DL, with a hamstring spasm. It sounds like he basically reinjured the same hamstring that forced him to miss five weeks between late April and early June. Mullins has hit .318 in 42 games with the Baysox.

Triple-A Norfolk made these roster moves today:
* Pitcher Scott McGough sent to Double-A.
* Pitchers Jimmy Yacabonis and Tyler Wilson activated after being optioned by the Orioles.
* Outfielder Tucker Nathans added from Double-A.
* Outfielder Logan Schafer placed on the DL (retro to 7/6) with left rib injury.
* Infielder Alex Castellanos activated off the DL.

Also, today Baseball America released its top 100 updated mid-season prospects list. Triple-A catcher Chance Sisco is No. 29 and Double-A outfielder Austin Hays is No. 99.

Baseball America also reported that O's fourth-round pick Jack Conlon was not signed because he failed his physical. Click here to see the BA story.

I'm told there were no additional draft pick signings today by the Orioles as the deadline to sign 2017 picks passed at 5 p.m. Eastern time. So the O's signed 15 of their first 16 and 31 of 41 in all.