O's game blog: Orioles try to salvage series finale (O's lose 8-4)

If the Orioles thought facing Dallas Keuchel was tough last night, facing 23-year-old right-hander Lance McCullers might prove tougher today. McCullers has allowed just one unearned run over his past four starts. He'll try to pitch Houston to a three-game sweep of the Orioles this afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

The Orioles were 22-10 on May 9, and that was the best record in baseball. But they have gone 3-12 since then, and last night's 5-2 loss was their sixth consecutive. The Orioles have been swept three straight in two of their past four series and will try to avoid making that three in five today. They were swept at Kansas City and at home versus Minnesota.

McCullers is 5-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 10 starts, and the Astros are 8-2 in his outings this year. But he has pitched very well over his last four games. Over 24 innings he has given up just 10 hits and one unearned run with six walks and 19 strikeouts. Opponent batters are 10-for-81 (.123) against him in that stretch. The run has lowered his ERA from 4.08 to its current 2.43 mark.

McCullers has the longest active scoreless-innings streak in the American League at 22 innings. The last Astros starting pitcher to allow zero earned runs while going at least five innings in four consecutive starts was right-hander Nolan Ryan in 1984.

McCullers currently leads AL pitchers in ERA (0.59) in the month of May. That ranks as the second lowest ERA during the month in franchise history, behind only Ryan (0.20 ERA, 1984).

McCullers has allowed three runs or fewer in 24 consecutive home starts, which account for every home start of his career. That is the sixth-longest run of this stat in major league history.

Facing him today is Oriole right-hander Alec Asher (1-2, 2.17 ERA), who is making his third start of the year and his 12th appearance.

Asher made two quality starts earlier this season for Baltimore. On April 15 at Toronto, he gave up three hits and one run over 6 1/3 innings, throwing 93 pitches. On May 2 at Boston, he went six innings, allowing six hits and three runs on 101 pitches. In those games he is 0-1 with a 2.92 ERA.

In nine games out of the O's bullpen, Asher has a 1.62 ERA. Over his past four games he has pitched 7 2/3 scoreless on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Lefty batters have hit .208 versus Asher, and right-handers are batting .250 against him. He yields an average against of .133 when pitching with runners in scoring position.

After today's game the Orioles return home to face the Yankees for three games, Boston for four and Pittsburgh for two in a nine-game homestand through June 7.

Swept away in Houston: An early 3-0 lead today for the Orioles provided hope that a losing streak might end. But the game quickly turned in Houston's favor and the Astros beat the Orioles 8-4 to complete a three-game sweep.

The Orioles fall to 25-23 and have lost seven in a row, nine of 11 and 13 of 16 games. They are 1-9 their past 10 road games and 10-16 on the road for the season.

Right-hander Alec Asher, making his third start, allowed six runs during a 42-pitch last of the second. Ubaldo Jiménez pitched in relief, allowing two runs over six frames.

Second baseman Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer in the first and added an RBI single in the second, but the Orioles went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and struck out 13 times.

The Orioles host the New York Yankees Monday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. at Camden Yards to begin a three-game series and nine-game homestand.