O's game blog: Orioles face the Phils in rainout makeup game

In the makeup of a rainout from May 15, the Orioles (26-67) host the Philadelphia Phillies (51-40) for one night only. The teams have played three times this year with the Phillies winning all three by scores of 4-1 in Baltimore and 3-2 and 4-1 earlier this month at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies have won eight of their last 11, which includes those two wins over the Orioles. Over a longer stretch, they are 19-10 since June 10. Their .655 winning percentage in that span ranks second in the National League to only Cincinnati (.679) and is tied for fifth in the majors. The Phillies are tied for the NL East lead with Atlanta and also are tied for the third-best winning percentage in the NL this season with Atlanta (.560), trailing Milwaukee (.591) and the Chicago Cubs.

The Phillies enter tonight's contest with an 8-4 record (.667) against American League teams and that is tied for third-best among all NL clubs with the Cubs, trailing only Pittsburgh (10-2, .833) and Cincinnati (10-3, .769). Philadelphia has already eclipsed its win total in interleague play from last season when the Phillies went 5-15 and tied the Reds for the worst mark among all major league clubs. In 21 seasons since interleague play was established, the Phils have finished with a winning record against the AL only seven times with the most recent being in 2016.

The Orioles were shut out for the ninth time last night in a 9-0 loss to the Yankees and they split that four-game series. The Orioles were outscored 28-13 by New York, but posted two one-run wins in the series. The Orioles are now 7-51 when they score three runs or less and 3-30 when they fail to homer.

On the mound tonight, right-hander Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.11 ERA) makes his 19th start. He gave up three runs in five innings in his last start at Minnesota. But he's recorded four quality starts his last six games, going 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA. In nine home starts, Gausman is 4-4 with a 3.86 ERA. In 10 night starts, he is 2-3 with a 2.81 ERA.

Right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.62 ERA), who beat the Orioles at Oriole Park on May 16, gets the ball for the Phillies. That night, he threw seven innings against the Orioles allowing just two hits and one run with 11 strikeouts, his second-most this year. He came out of that game with an ERA of 3.72, which dropped to 3.23 in his next outing when he threw seven scoreless innings against Atlanta.

But he has had his share of struggles since those two games. Pivetta went 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in six starts in June. In his last two games, he has thrown a combined 4 1/3 innings versus Washington and Pittsburgh and has given up 12 hits and 10 runs (eight earned). In eight road games, Pivetta is 1-3 with a 5.61 ERA.

A look back: On this date in 1966, Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson was named MVP of the All-Star Game in St. Louis, despite playing for the losing American League squad. Robinson had three hits, including a triple, scored the lone AL run and had eight assists in the field in the 2-1 loss in 10 innings.

Also, 25 years ago on this date in 1993, Ken Griffey Jr. became the only player to hit the Camden Yards warehouse on the fly. The blast traveled an estimated 465 feet over Eutaw Street in right field and was done so during the All-Star Game Home Run Derby. A brass medallion marks the spot where the ball struck the warehouse.