O's game blog: O's try to get back in win column versus Tigers

A five-game win streak has been followed by back-to-back losses to the Detroit Tigers for the Orioles. They host the Tigers tonight in the third game of a four-game series.

The Orioles (53-56) are 33-23 at home for the season. They have won five of seven games and are 11-7 in the last 18. Detroit (51-57) is 4-1 versus Baltimore in 2017 and 24-32 in road games. The Tigers are 14-11 in games against American League East opponents.

On the mound tonight for the Orioles is lefty Wade Miley (5-9, 5.60 ERA), who is making his 23rd start. On Sunday at Texas, Miley allowed two runs and four hits over five innings. The Orioles are 11-11 in his outings.

He went 2-3 with a 2.82 ERA over 11 starts to begin this year. Then he went 2-6 with a 9.69 ERA over a 10-start stretch before the game at Texas. Coming into that one, he had given up 17 runs in 15 2/3 innings over his previous three starts. In 10 home starts, Miley is 2-4 with a 5.07 ERA.

Right-hander Drew VerHagen (0-1, 6.75 ERA) gets the start for Detroit in place of Michael Fulmer, who went on the disabled list.

VerHagen spent most of this year in the rotation at Triple-A Toledo, going 7-7 with a 4.90 ERA. Over 97 1/3 innings, he walked 43, fanned 69 and allowed a .287 batting average. He was called up to the majors on July 24 and has pitched twice in relief since. In the two games, he has gone four innings, allowing four hits and three runs on three home runs.

Orioles infielder Tim Beckham went 4-for-4 on Friday in his fourth game with the Orioles. He has recorded multi-hit games in each of his first four games with the O's. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Beckham is the only active player to record at least two hits in each of his first four games with his current team. And Beckham's 11 hits in four games since joining the club are the most by any player in his first four games in Orioles history.

Second baseman Jonathan Schoop ranks second in the AL and seventh in the majors with 79 RBIs. He trails only Nelson Cruz (80) for the AL lead. Schoop's 25 RBIs since the All-Star break lead the AL and rank second in the majors, while his six home runs since the break are tied for sixth most in the AL. He leads second basemen in RBIs for the season (79), ahead of Daniel Murphy (76) and Robinson Canó (75).

The Orioles are approaching their 10,000th regular season home run in club history. The Orioles have hit 9,997. The O's will become one of four clubs to reach the 10,000 home run mark since 1954, joining the Yankees, Tigers and Red Sox

The Tigers have won four in a row against the Orioles, which is their longest winning streak against Baltimore since May 12, 2014 to July 17, 2015 and that was also four straight. They have not won five or more consecutive games versus Baltimore since taking five in a row Aug. 5, 2009 to July 7, 2010. Now 5-1 this season against the Orioles, the Tigers have clinched their first winning season over the Orioles since going 5-1 in 2014.

Tigers All-Star left-fielder Justin Upton slugged his American League-leading third grand slam of the season last night at Baltimore (others: June 11 at Boston, July 30 versus Houston). He is now tied with the Dodgers' Chris Taylor for the most in the major leagues this year. Upton's three grand slams are the most by a Tiger in a single season since Bobby Higginson also had three in 1997.