masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgJeremy Guthrie needs to play the role of stopper today and end this losing streak at two games.

I guess two games constitute a streak.

Guthrie is 7-4 with a 2.92 ERA over his last 11 starts dating back to July 23. Only three other pitchers have won more games since that date: Roy Halladay (10), Ervin Santana (nine) and Trevor Cahill (eight).

Guthrie has won his last two road starts – his first back-to-back road victories this year – and hasn’t allowed an earned run spanning 15 1/3 innings….Jeremy Guthrie needs to play the role of stopper today and end this losing streak at two games.

I guess two games constitute a streak.

Guthrie is 7-4 with a 2.92 ERA over his last 11 starts dating back to July 23. Only three other pitchers have won more games since that date: Roy Halladay (10), Ervin Santana (nine) and Trevor Cahill (eight).

Guthrie has won his last two road starts – his first back-to-back road victories this year – and hasn’t allowed an earned run spanning 15 1/3 innings.

Guthrie has given up six earned runs in five road starts since the All-Star Break, posting a 1.54 ERA in 35 innings, and all of those runs scored in his Aug. 24 start in Chicago.

Guthrie also is five innings away from tying his career-high of 200 set last year.

He’ll need to bounce back from his last start at Camden Yards, when he allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings in an 11-3 loss to the Yankees. Once again, he’ll be working on six days’ rest, as he’s done in his two previous outings.

He’ll also have to contend with Jose Bautista, who last night tied Tony Batista (2000) and Frank Howard (1968) for the most home runs in a single season against the Orioles with nine. Bautista is 6-for-18 lifetime against Guthrie, with three doubles, one triple, one homer and two RBIs.

One more note: You already know that the Orioles lost last night despite out-hitting the Jays, 16-5. According to Elias, the last team to hold an 11-hit advantage over its opponent and still lose was the Texas Rangers on Aug. 15, 1989 against Seattle. The Mariners won, 2-0, despite being out-hit 13-1.