O's game blog: O's have lost eight of nine heading into tonight's game at Texas

With eight losses in thier past nine games, the Orioles look to get their offense going and get back in the win column tonight at Texas. They have scored just eight runs in the four losses on this 1-4 road trip and just 22 runs in their past 10 losses.

On the mound tonight, Ubaldo Jimenez (9-8, 4.26 ERA) pitches against Rangers left-hander Martin Perez (1-3, 5.30 ERA).

In his last start, Jimenez gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings Monday at Kansas City. Jimenez surrendered six runs in the sixth inning, the first runs he allowed in the sixth inning over his 25 starts this season.

Jimenez currently ranks 14th among American League starting pitchers and first among Orioles starting pitchers averaging 8.32 strikeouts per nine innings. He ranks 10th all-time among big league pitchers born in the Dominican Republic with 1,419 career strikeouts. Ramon Martinez (1,427) ranks ninth and also serves as special assignment instructor with the Orioles.

Jimenez will try to turn around his poor second-half performance tonight. He is 2-4 with a 7.65 ERA in eight starts and has allowed nine homers and a .293 batting average over 42 1/3 innings. He has been scored on in the opening inning of five of those eight starts.

Perez is making his eighth start of 2015. He allowed eight runs in one inning on July 28 versus the Yankees. His ERA is 3.47 in his other games. In four August starts, he is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA.

The Orioles (63-65) fell 9 1/2 games back of first-place Toronto when the Blue Jays routed Detroit 15-1 this afternoon. Edwin Encarnacion hit three homers and tied a team record with nine RBIs. Encarnacion has a 24-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this year. During the streak he is batting .400 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs.

Wheeler honored: Single-A Frederick Keys relief pitcher Cody Wheeler was named to the Carolina League's postseason All-Star team today. The 26-year-old Wheeler leads the league in saves and games finished (34) and is tied with teammate Jimmy Yacabonis in appearances. He averages 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

Wheeler is 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA and 17 saves. In 49 2/3 innings, he he has walked 28 and struck out 56 while opponents are batting .195 against him.

Signed by the Orioles as a minor league free agent in April, Wheeler played his first four seasons in the Arizona organization. Since the All-Star break, Wheeler has registered a 2.21 ERA as well as eight saves in nine opportunities. In July, he went 6-for-6 in save opportunities with an ERA of 0.69.