O's game blog: Orioles have struggled this year against clubs with winning records

As the Orioles push for a playoff spot in the remaining 54 games of their season, they are going to need to do a better job against good teams. The Orioles have played seven teams that started today with an over .500 record, and they are 15-29 in those games after their loss last night to the Angels. The Orioles are 5-9 in 14 series against the seven teams.

It breaks down this way: 5-8 against the New York Yankees, 5-7 against Toronto, 0-3 versus Minnesota, 3-4 against Houston, 1-3 against the Angels, 0-2 versus the New York Mets and 1-2 against the Washington Nationals. The Orioles are also 1-3 versus Texas, who began today at 54-54.

The Orioles next chance against an over .500 team comes tonight against the 58-50 Angels, who are 35-22 at home and beat the Orioles 8-4 last night.

Ubaldo Jimenez (8-7, 4.04 ERA) will make his 22nd start tonight and try to reverse his second-half slide. He is 1-3 with a 10.61 ERA in four starts since the All-Star Game, allowing first-inning runs in all four contests. He has allowed 22 runs in 18 2/3 in those four outings after finishing the first-half giving up just one run in 20 innings in three starts.

Jimenez allowed just two runs in the first inning of his first 17 starts. But now he has given up 11 runs in the first of the last four games.

Right-hander Garrett Richards (11-8, 3.46 ERA) makes his 21st start tonight for Los Angeles. He has 14 quality starts for the year allowing an average against of just .228.

Richards is 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA in 10 home starts and has given up just 44 hits in 72 1/3 home innings for an average against of just .174. In seven career games, with three starts, versus the Orioles, he is 0-3 with a 5.70 ERA.

For the second day in a row, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the first-place Yankees. Today it was a 6-0 final as Justin Smoak hit a grand slam and David Price pitched seven scoreless innings. Toronto has won seven in a row and moved to within 2 1/2 games of first place. The O's could move to within five games of New York with a win tonight.

Norris released: By now you know that Bud Norris was released today by the Orioles. He was designated for assignment on July 31, and the Orioles could not find a trade partner for a pitcher that was 2-9 with a 7.06 ERA.

It was quite a fall for Norris this year from the pitcher that went 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA last season and beat Detroit's David Price in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Last season, the Orioles went 19-9 in his starts, but they were just 4-7 in his 11 starts this year before he lost his rotation spot.

The Orioles gave him every chance and he simply underperformed, and it began in spring training. His strong 2014 season earned him a raise through arbitration this winter from $5.3 million last year to a contract for $8.8 million this season. But obviously, he just never consistently pitched anywhere near to the level expected of a player at that salary level. Maybe he'll get a fresh start somewhere else now.