O's game blog: O's face Trevor Bauer in Cleveland series opener

CLEVELAND - After a doubleheader loss in New York, the Orioles begin a four-game series tonight at Progressive Field in Cleveland. The Orioles lost by scores of 5-3 and 3-1 in the twinbill at Yankee Stadium. They produced just 14 hits in the two games and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

The Orioles (14-28) are 0-21 the last three games and 1-for-31 their past four games with RISP. The past 16 games they are 16-for-118 (.136) with RISP. The Birds have scored four runs or fewer 27 times, going 4-23 in those games.

But they did get 12 innings from starters David Hess and Andrew Cashner last night. O's starters went six innings or more just four times in the first 33 games. Now they've done that six times in the past nine games, including three in a row. O's starters have an ERA of 3.73 the last nine games.

Right-hander Dan Straily (1-3, 8.23 ERA) will make his seventh start for the Orioles. Straily has thrown five innings or less in every start and has gone 4 1/3 or less his last three games. In his past two starts, versus the Rays and Angels, he's given up 11 runs and 14 hits in 8 2/3 innings.

While Straily is 0-3 with an 11. 78 ERA in five home games, he is 1-0 with an ERA of 1.00 in two road games over nine innings. Lefty batters have hit just .224 against Straily while right-handed batters are hitting .397 with an OPS of 1.173 against him.

Right-hander Trevor Bauer (4-2, 3.02 ERA) will make his 10th start for Cleveland. He went 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA last season and finished sixth in the American League Cy Young vote. This year he's thrown 59 2/3 innings, allowing 39 hits with 27 walks and 72 strikeouts. He has a 1.11 WHIP and allows a batting average against of .188.

The No. 3 overall pick by Arizona in the 2011 draft, Bauer gave up two runs in seven innings his last start against Oakland. In his two previous games, he gave up 11 earned runs in 12 innings.

For the year, Bauer has allowed one earned run or fewer five times, he's recorded six quality starts and has gone seven innings or longer five times. In three home starts, Bauer is 1-1 with a 4.42 ERA.

Bauer ranks second in the AL in innings, fourth in strikeouts and ninth in ERA. He begins this game with 998 career strikeouts, needing two to become the 54th active pitcher with 1,000 or more.

The Indians (22-19) have lost three of five and six of the past 10. They are 9-9 the last 18 games. Cleveland is 11-7 at home and 4-0 versus the AL East with a four-game sweep in April against Toronto. The Indians are beginning a season-long, 11-game homestand tonight.