O's game blog: O's look to avoid sweep with David Hess on mound

TORONTO - Well this is the Orioles last chance. Last chance to win a game in Toronto in the 2018 season. They take an 0-9 record at Rogers Centre into this afternoon's finale of a three-game series with the Blue Jays winning the first two.

The Orioles have been outscored 57-28 in the ballpark this year including 13-5 in this series. The Orioles have lost four games this year by one run at Toronto and one by two runs.

Toronto (57-69) had lost four straight before the Orioles got to town. The Blue Jays are 22-32 at home against all other teams save Baltimore. They are also 11-1 this year against the Orioles and that is six more wins than they have against any other club. Toronto is 10-31 versus the other three AL East teams.

On the mound today, right-hander David Hess (2-7, 5.95 ERA) will try to pitch Baltimore to a win. He gave up two runs in six innings in his last start in Cleveland. Hess has an ERA of 3.86 his past two starts versus the Rays and Indians.

On June 7 he made a start at Rogers Centre and got a no decision but he pitched well. Over six innings, Hess allowed five hits and one run with two walks and four strikeouts, throwing 99 pitches.

Lefty Thomas Pannone (0-0, 6.00) gets the start opposite Hess. In six starts this year at Triple-A he went 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA. This will be his fifth career major league appearance and first start.

Pannone was drafted in round 33 by the Cubs in 2012, but didn't sign. The next year he did sign after being selected in round nine by Cleveland. On July 31, 2017 he was traded from the Indians to the Blue Jays.

Center fielder Cedric Mullins went 1-for-4 with a home run on Tuesday. Since making his MLB debut Aug. 10, he is batting .333 (13-for-39) and seven of his 13 hits are extra-base hits, with five doubles and two homers. Since making his debut, Mullins' .333 batting average ranks fifth among AL rookies and ranks eighth in the majors among rookies. His five doubles since Aug. 10 are tied for second-most in the majors among rookies.

Alex Cobb tossed the Orioles 54th quality start of the season on Saturday. The 54 QS rank seventh in the AL and 16th in the majors. Cobb leads the club with 13 quality starts. But in the last three games since Cobb's outing at Cleveland, O's starters have allowed 24 hits and 19 runs in 13 innings.