O's game blog: Road trip begins in Milwaukee (O's lose 8-1)

When the Orioles begin a three-game series and seven-game road trip in Milwaukee this afternoon, they will be a facing a team that is in first place.

While the Orioles (40-41) are in fourth place and 6 1/2 games out in the American League East, the Brewers (44-40) lead the National League Central by two games over the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs.

Milwaukee, which saw a three-game win streak snapped Sunday, has spent 43 days in first place. The Brewers are 23-23 at home and 4-3 versus American League teams.

Milwaukee's pitching staff features three former Orioles. Right-hander Zach Davies has made 17 starts and is 9-4 with a 5.03 ERA. The Orioles traded him to the Brewers July 31, 2015 for outfielder Gerardo Parra. Davies is not listed to start in this series.

Two of their relievers were Orioles. Right-hander Oliver Drake is 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA. The O's traded him April 13 to Milwaukee for cash or a player to be named later. The Orioles traded minor league lefty Josh Hader to Houston in a deal to get Bud Norris on July 31, 2013. Two years later, at the trade deadline, Houston dealt Hader to Milwaukee in a six-player deal. On June 10 this year, Milwaukee called Hader up from the minors. Since then he has thrown seven scoreless appearances, allowing just two hits over 9 1/3 innings. The Orioles drafted Hader in round 19 out of Old Mill High School, in Millersville, Md., in 2012. He is ranked as Milwaukee's No. 2 prospect by Baseball America.

On the mound this afternoon, left-hander Wade Miley (3-6, 4.54 ERA) faces Milwaukee lefty Brent Suter (0-1, 4.20 ERA).

In his first 11 starts through June 1, Miley went 2-3 with a 2.82 ERA and .241 average against. In five starts since, he is 1-3 with a 9.58 ERA and .358 average against.

Suter comes out of the bullpen to make a spot start. In eight games over five stints in the majors this season, he has thrown 15 innings, allowing 16 hits with six walks and 12 strikeouts.

Two players that need to have big second halves for the Orioles had big games in Sunday's win over the Rays. Kevin Gausman pitched seven scoreless innings and Manny Machado hit a three-run homer. Catcher Caleb Joseph said both will be huge for the team if they play well in the next 81 games.

"Yeah, it's big," Joseph said. "Gausman has been battling through a lot of stuff, and this was a really nice game to build on. He's got big expectations for himself, and expectations we have for him too. He's been up here a long time but he's still pretty young. He got here quick and a lot of the maturity process happens around this time, age-wise, for a pitcher.

"For Manny, he's been hitting tons of balls on the screws. First time up (today), hits a bullet up the middle and the guy dives. He probably leads the league in balls hit on the line that are outs. When he is nice and patient and gets his pitch, he usually does damage. Hopefully, this is a start for him. We're going to need him down the stretch."

Minor league honors: The Orioles have named Double-A Bowie outfielder Austin Hays their minor league Player of the Month for June and Single-A Frederick lefty Keegan Akin the pitcher of the month.

Hays began the month with Frederick and ended it with a promotion to Bowie. In his first 11 games with the Baysox he is batting .372 with three doubles, three homers and 11 RBIs. In five starts in June, Akin is 3-1 with 0.90 ERA. Over 30 innings he allowed 13 hits with 11 walks and 31 strikeouts.

Also, Bowie right-hander David Hess has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. Hess went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in a pair of starts for the Baysox last week and is tied for the Eastern League lead in wins (8). He allowed just two earned runs over 13 innings with 12 strikeouts.