masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSEATTLE – The Orioles are 1-3 this season against the Seattle Mariners after Thursday’s 5-3 loss at Safeco Field in the opener of a four-game series. They have been outscored 24-10 in the four games.
The Orioles are batting just .189 with three homers and an OPS of .546 against Seattle pitching. Mariners hurlers have an ERA of 2.31 in the season series.
As the Orioles look to go 3-1 on this West Coast swing with a victory tonight, right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-5, 3.93 ERA) faces lefty Wade…

SEATTLE – The Orioles are 1-3 this season against the Seattle Mariners after Thursday’s 5-3 loss at Safeco Field in the opener of a four-game series. They have been outscored 24-10 in the four games.

The Orioles are batting just .189 with three homers and an OPS of .546 against Seattle pitching. Mariners hurlers have an ERA of 2.31 in the season series.

As the Orioles look to go 3-1 on this West Coast swing with a victory tonight, right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-5, 3.93 ERA) faces lefty Wade LeBlanc (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

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LeBlanc made his Mariners debut with six scoreless innings, allowing three hits last Friday against St. Louis as he threw 87 pitches. Earlier this year at Triple-A Buffalo he went 7-2 with a 1.71 ERA.

He spent the 2015 season with the Seibu Lions in the Japan Pacific League, going 2-5 with a 4.23 ERA over eight starts. LeBlanc is a seven-year MLB veteran with five clubs before joining Seattle, pitching for the Padres, Marlins, Astros, Angels and Yankees. In his only career start versus Baltimore on June 18, 2010 for San Diego, he gave up one run over 6 2/3 innings.

Gausman finally got his first win of 2016 in his 13th start. He beat the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of last Saturday’s doubleheader at Camden Yards when he pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings on four hits. He threw a career-high-tying 113 pitches. He had allowed 10 runs over eight frames in his previous two starts.

Gausman is 0-4 with a 5.11 ERA and has a .302 average against this season in seven road starts. In two career starts versus Seattle – both at Safeco Field – he is 0-1 with a 2.63 ERA. Robinson Cano is 5-for-9 with a triple against him.

Taijuan Walker got the win against the Orioles last night, holding them to one run over 6 1/3 innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA over his past four starts. He slowed down an Orioles team that had scored 8, 12, 11 and 12 runs the previous four games.

Former Oriole Nelson Cruz has reached base safely in 46 of 49 career games with an at-bat against the O’s. He is batting .363 with 16 doubles, nine homers and 41 RBIs in 190 career at-bats versus Baltimore.