O's game blog: Orioles look for fourth straight win in Boston series opener

As they try for a fantastic finish and to catch three teams ahead of them for the second American League wild card, the Orioles open a three-game series at Boston tonight.

The Orioles are 11-5 against the Red Sox this year, including a 4-3 mark at Fenway Park. The O's are 46-26 versus the Red Sox since 2012. This year, Boston's team ERA is 4.50 against the Orioles and Red Sox starting pitchers have an ERA of 5.71 against Baltimore in the season series.

The Red Sox beat Tampa Bay on Monday, but then lost the next three games in that series, scoring two runs each time. But over a longer stretch, Boston is 20-14 since Aug. 18 and 28-22 since July 30. The Red Sox are 40-38 at home and 29-40 versus AL East teams.

On the mound tonight, right-hander Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.26 ERA) makes his 24th appearance and 16th start facing left-hander and former Oriole Rich Hill (1-0, 1.93 ERA).

Gausman is 1-0 with a 2.65 ERA over his last three starts. That includes his 2-0 win Sept. 14 over Boston at home when he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two singles on 109 pitches. In nine career games (four starts) versus Boston, Gausman is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA.

Hill pitched earlier this year for the Washington Nationals' Triple-A affiliate at Syracuse. In 25 bullpen appearances, he was 2-2 with a 2.91 ERA. He was released June 24 and then made two starts for the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks, and did not gave up an earned run in 11 innings. The Red Sox signed him to a minor league contract Aug. 14 and Hill went 3-2 with a 2.78 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Hill then made two very good starts for Boston against Tampa Bay and Toronto. On Sept. 13 at Tampa, he joined Hideo Nomo as the only pitchers in the last 100 years with 10 or more strikeouts and one or no hits allowed in their first career start with Boston.

Hill went 3-3 with a 7.80 ERA in 14 games with the 2009 Orioles. He had not started a major league game since his time with the Orioles until the start against the Rays. In his two Boston starts, he has walked one and fanned 20 in 14 innings.

The Orioles are 5-2 on this 10-game road trip and 34-47 on the road for the season. They have won eight of 11 and 11 of their past 15 games.

The last two days at Washington, the Orioles took the lead with two-run homers from Manny Machado in the seventh inning Wednesday and Matt Wieters in the eight inning yesterday.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the first time that the Orioles have won consecutive games, both on the road, despite trailing in the seventh inning or later since May 16-17, 2012, when they posted back-to-back late comeback victories in Kansas City.