SEATTLE - The Orioles will try to go .500 on their West Coast trip while closing out their series this afternoon against the Mariners. A win would put them one game below .500 for the season, territory as familiar to them as a childhood home.

The second wild card remains two games beyond their reach.

Ubaldo Jiménez has given up three runs or fewer in his last four starts, though he hasn't completed the sixth inning in his last two appearances. He's walked four batters and struck out 17 in those two starts spanning 11 innings.

Jiménez's ERA has dropped from 7.19 on July 21 to 6.25.

The difference?

"He's commanding the fastball well," said manager Buck Showalter. "When you can locate the fastball on both sides of the plate and they have to commit to a location on the fastball, you've got to either cheat a little bit in or cheat a little bit away and it opens up ... Anything off-speed doesn't have to be as good as it normally has to be.

"There's two parts of the fastball - the stuff of the fastball and the location of it. Some guys, they can't locate it. That's why a lot of guys end up in the bullpen."

Jiménez escaped it again.

Jiménez is 2-3 with a 5.85 ERA and 1.550 WHIP in seven career starts against the Mariners and 0-2 with a 6.32 ERA and 1.596 WHIP in three starts at Safeco Field. He faced them twice last season and allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings in both outings.

Robinson Canó is 9-for-17 with four doubles and two home runs against Jiménez. Mike Zunino has a double and home run in his only at-bats.

Nelson Cruz is 2-for-17 with nine strikeouts, Leonys Martin is 2-for-14 with a home run, Kyle Seager is 2-for-11 and Danny Valencia is 1-for-11.

Left-hander Marco Gonzales has registered an 8.49 ERA over 11 2/3 innings in three starts this season. He's allowed six runs and 11 hits in 8 1/3 innings in two starts with Seattle after being acquired from the Cardinals on July 21 for outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

Gonzales missed the 2016 season after undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. He was the 19th overall pick in the 2013 draft.

The Orioles are facing Gonzales for the first time. What could go wrong?

Welington Castillo is 0-for-3 against him and Mark Trumbo is 0-for-2.

Gonzales has held left-handers to a 1.84 ERA in 14 major league games, but right-handers are batting .304.

Trey Mancini and Joey Rickard figure to start in the outfield corners again today, with Trumbo the designated hitter. Seth Smith stays on the bench after homering Monday night in his return to Safeco Field and sitting last night against left-hander Andrew Albers.

Before last night, the Orioles pitching staff had posted a 4.37 ERA in second half that ranked seventh in the American League and 16th in majors.

The Orioles' 176 runs scored led the majors since the break. Their .289 average was first in the league and second in the majors behind the Rockies (.290). Their 50 home runs were first in the league and second in the majors behind the Cubs (51). Their .840 OPS and .312 hits were first in the majors, and their 66 doubles were first in the league and second in the majors behind the Giants (70).

The last 20 batters were retired last night, no one reaching base after the third inning. Because baseball is unpredictable and weird.