vs. ASTROS, 5/26

Baltimore Orioles (26-18, 2nd -2.0) vs. Houston Astros (19-28, 5th -9.0)

Streak / L10

BAL: -3, Lost 3 of 4 / L10: 4-6

HOU: +2, Won 2 of 3 / L10: 4-6

NEW: Quality Start minimum requirements (experimental, suggestions welcome)

- 6 IP, 2ER

- 7 IP, 3ER

- Game ERA must be 4.00 or less

Game 3 (8:10)

(QS=3)Kevin Gausman 90-2) 2.70 (1.12/.237), 30/8 (3HR)

vs.

(QS=1)Lance McCullers (0-1) 5.91 (1.69/.293), 11/6

Kevin Gausman: Gausman has been good so far this season, but has yet to record his first win and has only factored into one decision in six. He is getting roughed up a bit by righties, though. He has never faced Houston and it will be his ML Debut at Beverage Maker Park.

Splits & Sits

55 vs. left: .132/.164/.182

95 vs. right: .302/.358/.442, 3HR

Bases Empty: .272

RISP: .143

RISP w/2 outs: .182

Men on w/2 outs: .182

Man on 3rd, < 2 outs: .000

2016 Away (3 starts)

(0-1) 2.55 (1.19/.239), HR

Career @ Minute Maid Park (0 starts)

Debut

Career vs. HOU (0 starts)

Debut

vs. Batter

Luis Valbuena 1/2, S-HR, K

Colby Rasmus 1/1, BB

Lance McCullers: McCullers has made two starts this season; one was a quality start and the other was not and the good one was the second one. He fell victim to Boston in the first one, but McCullers has made one start against the Orioles and it was a complete game where he struck out 11 and allowed only one run with no walks. He threw 125.2 innings for the Astros in his rookie season last year and ended with a 3.22 (1.19/.226) which isn't too bad at all.

Splits & Sits

23 vs. left: .294/.478/.304, 6BB

24 vs. right: .292/.292./.417

Bases Empty: .273

RISP: .444

RISP w/2 outs: .000

Men on w/2 outs: .167

Man on 3rd, < 2 outs: 1.000

2016 Home (1 start)

(0-1) 6 IP, 4H, ER, 7/3

Career @ Minute Maid Park (11 starts)

(4-2) 1.96 (0.96/.191), 4HR

Career vs Baltimore (1 start)

(1-0) CG, 4H, ER, 11K

vs. Batter

Mark Trumbo 2/4, 3RBI, BB, K

Adam Jones 2/4, 3B, 2K

Chris Davis 0/4, 2K

Manny Machado 0/4, K

Ryan Flaherty 0/3, 2K

The Orioles lose again to the Astros despite Houston giving them two of their three runs and a runner on second in the ninth with one out. Is this the real Baltimore Orioles we're seeing now? Trumbo seems to have cooled off completely and no one else is really hitting except Kim. Even Wheat has already gone cold again, it seems. Wilson pitched well enough for the standard QS and despite the two gift runs, McHugh was very good as well. The Astros have exploited the Orioles more than any other team so far this season and their complete lack of discipline at the plate. The Astros will go for the sweep and have a pretty good matchup as well and for the love of all that is good, give Kim the left field job and see what he does with it. He is way too good to be benched for a week at a time or longer. Let's get this guy in the damn lineup every day already. He is the only guy in this lineup with any kind of IQ when it comes to hitting and he has the ability to go with it and most importantly, he doesn't strike out while being able to take walks. Jim Hunter just asked Buck about Kim and Buck said plainly he is going to play Kim again tomorrow. Finally! Hopefully, Kim will run away with the job.

Gausman will be making his ML debut against the Astros and in Beverage Maker Park while McCullers threw the best start of his young career against the Orioles being a complete game with 11 strikeouts and only one run on four hits allowed. With the way this offense has looked over the last four games, this might be ugly again. Gausman should at least give us a chance.

In the division, Boston has won four in a row now and are in the lead by two games with today's Orioles loss. In the Central, the White Sox lose again and Cleveland pulls to within a half game of the lead with KC remaining two out with their loss today. Just a heads up that we head to Cleveland after we're done with the Astros, so it's not going to get any easier. In the West, Seattle is up big on Oakland early on and the Angels have lost two in a row falling back to seven off the lead.

Loss tonight will be 4 in a row. 3 in CLE and 3 against the Sox, could be looking at a 1-9 or 0-10 skid!

Loss tonight will be 4 in a row. 3 in CLE and 3 against the Sox, could be looking at a 1-9 or 0-10 skid!

Malike, this is for your Lieutenant at the Precinct:

THE CHECKBOOK TWINS

OOOoooooo.195 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOllooooooooooo .184

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o

Malike, this is for your Lieutenant.

THE CHECKBOOK TWINS

OOOoooooo.195 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOllooooooooooo .184

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o

He's a true Yankee fan. He hasn't watched a single game all year. If they get hot he'll be chiming in daily, though! Thanks Patrick.

Loss tonight will be 4 in a row. 3 in CLE and 3 against the Sox, could be looking at a 1-9 or 0-10 skid!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CarGo cranks a 2-run homer off Buchholz to tie <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockies?src=hash">#Rockies</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Redsox?src=hash">#Redsox</a> at 2-2.</p>— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Loss tonight will be 4 in a row. 3 in CLE and 3 against the Sox, could be looking at a 1-9 or 0-10 skid!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CarGo cranks a 2-run homer off Buchholz to tie <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockies?src=hash">#Rockies</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Redsox?src=hash">#Redsox</a> at 2-2.</p>— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

47% curveballs. I predict 21 K's for McCullers.

Walk. Nice At bat.

McCullers all over the place early.

No freaking dp . None. Nada.

Productive outs for Orioles.

Jones took a pitch...

Welp they scouted Jones good thats exactly where you throw Jones a 0-2 pitch he's and easy out LOW AND AWAY.

Productive outs for Orioles.

You know what productive outs are?

Outs.

Give me non-outs.

I fully expect Jones to whiff on a breaking ball when he comes to the plate now. It's sad.