Shoemaker and Gausman put up zeros early (O's win 3-1)

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Los Angeles Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker has struggled this year, but he retired the first nine Orioles in order tonight.

Shoemaker recorded three straight 1-2-3 innings to start his night. He retired the Orioles on 11 pitches in the first, 16 in the second and just eight in the third. He got Ryan Flaherty out on a play scored 1-2-3 to end that third inning. Flaherty, batting ninth, hit a hot smash back to the box and Shoemaker deflected it with his foot. The ball caromed back to catcher Jett Bandy, who threw Flaherty out.

Shoemaker brought a 2-5 record and ERA of 8.49 into this outing. He has a WHIP of 1.854 and began tonight with a home record of 0-3 with a 14.40 ERA.

We'll see if the O's bats make more noise the second time through the order. The Orioles won 9-4 last night, hitting four home runs. They have scored 68 runs their past 12 games.

O's starter Kevin Gausman also began his night with three scoreless innings, but he needed 61 pitches to do it as the Angels went 0-for-4 against him with runners in scoring position. Gausman pitched out of a first and second, no-out jam in the first, getting three groundouts, the first from Mike Trout. On the second hit by Albert Pujols, Flaherty threw Yunel Escobar out at the plate.

In the third, Gausman got Pujols to fly out to center on a 3-2 pitch two on and two out. Gausman is coming off a start last Sunday versus Detroit where he allowed 10 hits and four runs over five innings.

Update: The Orioles and Angels remained scoreless through the top of the sixth. Shoemaker has allowed just two hits and has fanned nine Orioles, one off his career high and four more than he had in any previous 2016 start. Shoemaker is at 73 pitches through six and Gausman at 84 through five. Gausman has allowed five hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Update II: The scoreless tie was finally broken on Gausman's 112th and last pitch of his night. An RBI single to right-center by Yunel Escobar scored Gregorio Petit, who doubled with two outs. That made it 1-0 and made Escobar 7-for-13 in his career versus Gausman. Vance Worley came on after the Angels got the lead. He walked two in a row to load the bases and that brought in Brad Brach. He got Pujols to ground out to keep it a 1-0 game. The Orioles have been shutout three times this year and will try to avoid a fourth with six outs to go in this game.

Stunning finish: Down to their last out tonight, Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer off Joe Smith to give the Orioles a 3-1 win. Chris Davis singled with two outs and Mark Trumbo walked to set the stage for Wieters dramatic blast. Tomorrow the O's go for their first three-game sweep here since Aug. 27-29, 2010.

An entry with postgame quotes is still to come here tonight.