O's game blog: Orioles try for a sweep of the Red Sox

Whether it's been Dylan Bundy, Wade Miley, Alec Asher, Jayson Aquino or even Ubaldo Jiménez, the Orioles have gotten some strong starting pitching for most of this season.

But with just one quality start to his credit (the rest of the staff has nine), right-hander guKevin Gausman (1-1, 7.23 ERA) will try to join the party today as the Orioles look for a three-game sweep of Boston.

Coming off an outing in which he gave up eight runs to tie his career high, Gausman makes his fifth start of 2017 for the Orioles today.

Tuesday at Cincinnati, Gausman pitched just 2 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and eight runs as the Reds beat the Orioles 9-3. His one quality start came in his previous start in Toronto, where he went six innings and gave up five hits and one run.

In 18 2/3 innings for the season, the 26-year-old Gausman has given up 26 hits and 15 runs with 12 walks and 13 strikeouts. His walk rate of 5.8 per nine innings is way up over his 2016 mark of 2.4. His current WHIP is 2.036, and he has allowed a batting average of .329.

While the Orioles are 3-1 in Gausman's starts this year, lefty batters are hitting .346 against him and right-handed batters are hitting .321.

In four starts last season against the Red Sox, he went 1-3 with a 6.17 ERA and allowed six homers over 23 1/3 innings. In 14 career appearances (nine starts), Gausman is 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA and 1.207 WHIP against Boston.

His mound opponent today is former a Orioles minor league pitcher, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 5.23 ERA), who is making his third start.

His last appearance was a scoreless inning of relief on April 19. He was recently on paternity leave and got back into action with that inning. On the season, the native of Venezuela has thrown 11 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs (six earned) with seven walks and 15 strikeouts.

At one time, Gausman and Rodriguez were ranked among the top prospects on the O's farm. At the end of the 2012 season, Gausman was the O's No. 2 prospect per Baseball America (and 26th in the top 100), while Rodriguez was No. 5. A year later, after the 2013 season, Gausman was the O's No. 2 again (20th in the top 100) and Rodriguez was the O's No. 3 (65th in the top 100). The Orioles signed Rodriguez as an international amateur free agent for a bonus of $175,000 at age 17.

In four starts against Baltimore last year he went 2-1 with a 3.92 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 20 2/3. For his career, in seven starts against his former team, he is 2-3 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.234 WHIP with 43 strikeouts over 35 2/3 innings.