O's game blog: Kevin Gausman on the mound in Tampa Bay series finale

As the Orioles play the fourth and final game of their series at Tropicana Field today, they need a victory for a fourth consecutive series win. They went 2-1 against New York, Kansas City and Boston and are 2-1 this series against Tampa Bay.

The Orioles are 10-8 versus the Rays, 34-31 against the American League East, 31-46 in road games and 10-7 this month.

The Orioles (73-75) have won five of seven and eight of their last 11 games. Tampa Bay (71-77) has lost six of eight and is 6-11 in September. The Rays are 30-35 in division games.

With two doubles on Saturday, Chris Davis now owns a 40-home run, 25-double season and became the first Oriole to post two separate such seasons in club history, after also doing so in 2013. Others to accomplish the feat once are Nelson Cruz in 2014 (40 homers, 32 doubles), Davis in 2013 (53 homers, 42 doubles), Rafael Palmeiro in 1998 (43 homers, 36 doubles), Brady Anderson in 1996 (50 homers, 37 doubles), Frank Robinson in 1966 (49 homers, 34 doubles) and Jim Gentile in 1961 (46 homers, 25 doubles).

After today's game, the Orioles and Rays will have played 13 times at Tropicana Field this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this will be the most regular season games between two clubs at one venue since the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants played 13 games at the Polo Grounds in 1955.

On the mound this afternoon, right-hander Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.15 ERA) makes his 23rd appearance and 15th start of 2015, pitching against right-hander Jake Odorizzi (8-8, 3.26 ERA).

In his last two starts against New York and Boston, Gausman has pitched 11 innings, allowing eight hits and just one run. In 11 starts since the All-Star break, he is 2-5 with a 3.80 ERA. Gausman has struggled at times when pitching in the first inning. His ERA then is 7.07 and he has given up five of his 15 homers in the opening inning.

Odorizzi has worked six or more innings in nine of his last 10 starts. In nine starts since Aug. 1, he is 2-2 with a 4.17 ERA. In two starts this season versus the Orioles, his record is 2-0 and ERA is 2.84.

The Orioles' next home run will be their 200th. That would give them four consecutive 200-homer seasons and they would be the only team in the majors to do that. The Orioles hit 214 homers in 2012, 212 in 2013 and 211 in 2014.