O's game blog: Kevin Gausman gets start in series finale

ANAHEIM, Calif. - When the Orioles and Los Angeles Angels wrap up a three-game series this afternoon, right-hander Kevin Gausman will try to pitch another strong outing.

He owned a 6.47 ERA in mid-June, but Gausman (8-7, 5.15 ERA) has been on a pretty good roll since then. Over his past four starts, he is 3-0 with a 0.65 ERA. Over 27 2/3 innings he has given up 19 hits and two runs with nine walks and 32 strikeouts.

Going further back, Gausman is 5-0 with a 2.87 ERA over his last eight games. In that span, he has allowed one run or less six times. He has four scoreless starts among those eight games.

The Orioles are 12-12 in Gausman's 24 starts but have won three of the last four. In 11 road starts, he is 4-4 with an ERA of 5.77.

Tony Scribner, a 26-year-old right-hander, will be making his fourth career major league appearance and second start this afternoon. He is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA. He got the start Friday against Oakland and gave up five runs (two earned) over four innings. He has pitched eight innings over three games, allowing five hits and seven runs (four earned). In 18 games with Triple-A Salt Lake City he went 10-3 with a 4.16 ERA, with 36 walks and 98 strikeouts over 97 1/3 innings.

These teams have split two games and today's winner will take this series. Monday night, Manny Machado's grand slam in the seventh and Dylan Bundy's 10-strikeout game led the Orioles to a 6-2 win. Tuesday night, former Oriole Parker Bridwell allowed one run over seven innings, outdueling Jeremy Hellickson in the Angels' 3-2 victory.

The Orioles are 56-57 with eight wins in the last 11 games. They are 21-34 on the road. The Angels are 56-58 with seven wins in their past 11 games. They are 32-26 at home, 16-12 versus AL East teams and 11-11 since the All-Star game.

Aberdeen's All-Stars: The short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds will send seven players to the New York-Penn League All Star Game in Troy, New York on Aug. 15. That is the most players selected by any team in the league.

Pitchers Brenan Hanifee, Zac Lowther and James Teague are All-Stars along with catcher/DH Ben Breazeale, infielders Kirvin Moesquit and Mason McCoy and outfielder Jaylen Ferguson.

Hanifee is currently fifth in the NYPL in ERA at 2.18 and second in wins with six. In eight starts, he has pitched 45 1/3 innings allowing 42 hits, 11 earned runs and striking out 29.

Lowther has made seven starts since being drafted 74^th overall in June. He has worked 28 1/3 innings and allowed just three earned runs with 35 strikeouts.

In his second stint with the IronBirds, Teague has allowed one earned run over 13 appearances, collecting five saves and striking out 23 in 14 1/3 innings.

A seventh-round selection in 2017 from Wake Forest, Breazeale leads the NYPL in average (.371), RBIs (27) and doubles (14). He has been named the Orioles and NYPL Player of the Month for July.

In his third go around with the IronBirds, Moesquit has batted .281 with 31 runs scored in 36 games. He leads the NYPL in stolen bases with 22 in 24 tries.

A sixth-round pick in 2017 from the University of Iowa, McCoy has hit .323 with a home run and 18 RBIs. McCoy has played in 29 games, scoring 21 runs with nine doubles.

In his second year in Aberdeen, Ferguson is hitting .278 with five doubles and 11 RBIs.