O's game blog: Orioles look for series victory over Toronto

The Orioles can begin to erase the bad feelings about last night's 10-2 loss to Toronto with a win tonight, which would give them their first series win this year against the Blue Jays.

The Orioles are 2-6 versus Toronto, 0-2 in two series, and have been outscored 59-40 on the season series. The O's staff has an ERA of 7.17. Toronto batters are hitting .295 with an OPS of .886 against the Orioles with 27 doubles and 12 homers in the eight games.

The Orioles are 4-3-1 this season in series within the division. They are 3-1 when an AL East series is tied 1-1 after two games, as this one is.

On the mound tonight, it's Miguel Gonzalez (3-2, 3.57 ERA) for the Orioles facing 22-year-old right-hander Aaron Sanchez (3-2, 3.62 ERA).

While Gonzalez is coming off his worst 2015 start, Sanchez is coming off his best one. Gonzalez allowed five hits and five runs over four innings Friday against the Yankees. It was his shortest outing of the season. Sanchez gave up just two hits in seven scoreless frames Friday versus Boston.

Gonazalez, who allows an average of .227 against lefty batters and .218 to right-handed hitters, has two quality starts, and the O's are 3-3 when he is on the mound this season.

The 34th overall pick in the 2010 draft, Sanchez has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his six starts, but didn't pitch longer than 5 2/3 innings until his most recent outing. In two 2015 starts versus the Orioles, he is 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA.

Sanchez has walked nine O's in 8 2/3 innings in those starts, and he has walked 25 in 32 1/3 for the year, averaging seven walks per every nine innings.

The Orioles are tied for first in the majors with 11 outfield assists. Delmon Young leads the team and ranks tied for third in the American League with four. Adam Jones has three, and Alejandro De Aza and Travis Snider each have two.

The Orioles are 7-5 at home, 13-6 when they score first, 3-6 in one-run games, 4-6 in the last game of a series and 13-10 when they hit a home run.