O's game blog: Looking for a 4-1 start in Toronto

TORONTO - With three wins in their first four games and with a record topped by just two American League teams thus far, the Orioles play here tonight in the second game of a three-game series.

David Hess threw 6 1/3 no-hit innings Monday night, Jonathan Villar hit a two-run homer, and Trey Mancini homered and drove in two in a 6-5 win.

The Orioles, who went 0-10 and were outscored 63-28 last season at Rogers Centre, are 1-0 in Toronto in 2019. After hitting no homers the first two games, they've hit five in the last two. They've scored 18 runs during a three-game win streak.

Right-hander Andrew Cashner (0-1, 13.50) makes his second start tonight. He got the ball on opening day and took the loss at New York. Over four innings and two batters, he gave up six hits and six runs, with the last two scoring after he left the game. He allowed four walks, fanned three and gave up a three-run homer to Luke Voit in the first.

Cashner is reunited this year with pitching coach Doug Brocail, his pitching coach when he had a strong 2017 for the Texas Rangers. Cashner went 11-11 and his 3.40 ERA was ninth among qualifying pitchers in the AL, just behind Justin Verlander.

But last season, Cashner went 4-15 with a 5.29 ERA. Cashner had much more trouble in 2018, both in getting grounders and keeping the ball in the park. His groundball rate took a big drop from 48.6 to 40.4. His homers allowed per nine innings took a big jump from 0.8 to 1.5. In 2017, Cashner rated No. 2 in the AL in homer rate and No. 9 in groundball rate.

Another stat that was very different was his batting average allowed with runners in scoring position. He rated No. 1 in the majors at .170 in 2017; last year, that number was .320.

Right-hander Marcus Stroman will make his second start after also pitching last Thursday on opening day. Stroman threw seven scoreless innings on just two hits versus Detroit. He walked four and fanned seven, throwing 94 pitches, 53 for strikes, and getting 13 swings and misses.

In 2018, Stroman went 4-9 with a 5.54 ERA, one season after he went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 33 starts and he finished ninth in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

In one start last year against the Orioles, Stroman was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA allowing one run over seven innings. He has made 11 career appearances (10 starts) going 4-4 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.263 WHIP.

Mancini is hitting .500/.471/.938 (8-for-16) with two home runs, one double, four RBIs and five runs scored in four games. His 1.408 OPS ranks first in the AL and ninth in the majors. In 20 career games at Rogers Centre, Mancini is hitting .324/.354/.581 (24-for-74) with four home runs, five doubles, one triple, nine RBIs and 10 runs.