masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgCan the Orioles get another long outing from another starting pitcher tonight?

For the first time all year, O’s starters have gone seven innings or more in back-to-back games with Chris Tillman and Jason Hammel doing that on Tuesday and Wednesday vs. Cleveland.

Miguel Gonzalez (5-3, 3.75 ERA) makes his 14th start tonight and he’s a good candidate to get deep into the game. For one, Gonzalez is pitching pretty well right now and he’s gone seven or more twice in his last three…Can the Orioles get another long outing from another starting pitcher tonight?

For the first time all year, O’s starters have gone seven innings or more in back-to-back games with Chris Tillman and Jason Hammel doing that on Tuesday and Wednesday vs. Cleveland.

Miguel Gonzalez (5-3, 3.75 ERA) makes his 14th start tonight and he’s a good candidate to get deep into the game. For one, Gonzalez is pitching pretty well right now and he’s gone seven or more twice in his last three starts.

Gonzalez is 3-1 with an ERA of 2.60 this month with four straight quality starts. He has given up a batting average of just .183 this month, allowing 17 hits in 27 2/3 innings.

Gonzalez has been tougher to hit each month this year:

.275 opponent average in April
.232 opponent average in May
.183 opponent average in June

In two career games with one start against Cleveland, Gonzalez is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA, giving up three earned runs over 11 innings.

The O’s need a win tonight to split this four-game series and sure could use another long outing from a starting pitcher with just 11 starts all year of seven innings or more.

He might not make it: That is Gonzalez going seven innings. He threw 50 pitches in the first two innings tonight and is at 72 and in a 2-2 tie after three and a half innings.

The Indians, who had six hits last night, have seven in the first four innings off Gonzalez. Lonnie Chisenhall has a solo homer and RBI double.

Ryan Flaherty provided the O’s a brief 2-1 lead with a two-run single in the second to extend his batting streak to seven games. During this streak, Flaherty is 11-for-23 with three homers and six RBIs.