Upcoming starters, Alvarez, Britton and memorable loss

The Orioles have set their rotation for the Oakland series that begins Monday at O.co Coliseum.

Kevin Gausman will start the opener of the four-game series, followed by Wade Miley on Tuesday, Yovani Gallardo on Wednesday and Chris Tillman on Thursday.

The Athletics are listing only Kendall Graveman for Monday and Sonny Gray for Thursday. The other two spots are TBD. Gray, though, left today's game with forearm soreness, putting his scheduled start against the Orioles in doubt.

Pedro Alvarez is on the bench tonight with the White Sox starting left-hander Carlos Rodon. Alvarez has hit six home runs in his last five games, the most he's collected in a five-game span in his major league career, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Álvarez is the first Orioles hitter with six home runs in a five-game span since Chris Davis had six from Sept. 26-Oct. 1, 2012.

Closer Zach Britton struck out three batters in the ninth inning last night while recording his 34th save. However, he also threw two wild pitches, which is a pretty neat trick.

I wondered if any other Orioles reliever has struck out at least three batters and uncorked two wild pitches in one inning. Luckily, STATS research had the answer.

Terry Mathews also did it in the eighth inning of a July 5, 1997 game in Detroit.

Two other pitchers have done it this season - the Astros' Ken Giles in the eighth inning of an Aug. 1 game against the Blue Jays and the Cubs' Jon Lester in the second inning of a July 24 game in Milwaukee.

The Orioles won last night despite committing four errors, the first time they've done so since 1987.

On this date in 1986, the Orioles hit two grand slams and still lost 13-11 to the Rangers, who hit one.

Larry Sheets, Jim Dwyer and Toby Harrah hit grand slams, the latter connecting off Nate Snell.

Tom Dodd pinch-hit for Dwyer later in the game. Show of hands if you remember him. I'm at a loss, just like the Orioles that night.

For the White Sox
Tim Anderson SS
Melky Cabrera LF
Adam Eaton CF
Jose Abreu 1B
Justin Morneau DH
Todd Frazier 3B
Asivail Garcia RF
Omar Narvaez C
Tyler Saladino 2B

Carlos Rodon LHP