masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgYou can look at David Price’s 0-1 record and 5.82 ERA through three games and think he is struggling, but that is really not true of the 2012 AL Cy Young winner.

He gave up eight runs in five innings in his second start against Cleveland, but allowed just three earned runs over 12 innings (2.25 ERA) in his other two starts, one of which came against the Orioles. In his most recent start – Saturday against Boston – he allowed just one run and four hits over six innings.

Last season Price gave…You can look at David Price’s 0-1 record and 5.82 ERA through three games and think he is struggling, but that is really not true of the 2012 AL Cy Young winner.

He gave up eight runs in five innings in his second start against Cleveland, but allowed just three earned runs over 12 innings (2.25 ERA) in his other two starts, one of which came against the Orioles. In his most recent start – Saturday against Boston – he allowed just one run and four hits over six innings.

Last season Price gave up just one run over 22 1/3 innings in three starts against the Orioles. They got more against him in the first inning opening night this year when Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer.

Wieters went 2-for-2 that night vs. Price, adding a double as well and Adam Jones went 2-for-3 with a single and double. The O’s only got the two runs off Price but won the game 7-4.

In 13 career starts against the Orioles, the left-hander is 6-2 with a 2.27 ERA. In six career starts at Camden Yards, he is 3-0 with a 2.54 ERA and the Rays are 5-1 in those games.

How tonight’s O’s lineup has fared against Price:

* Nick Markakis: 9-for-36 (.250) with two RBIs.
* Manny Machado: 1-for-3 (.333).
* Adam Jones: 7-for-32 (.219) with two RBIs.
* Matt Wieters: 9-for-29 (.310) with one homer and three RBIs.
* Chris Davis: 1-for-7 (.143) with no homers or RBIs.
* J.J. Hardy: 7-for-26 (.269) with three RBIs
* Steve Pearce: 1-for-5 (.200) with one RBIs.
* Nolan Reimold: 3-for-21 (.143) with two RBIs.
* Alexi Casilla: 1-for-10 (.100) with no homers or RBIs.

Price has the second best lifetime ERA against the AL East since the beginning of divisional play in 1969. Jim Palmer is first at 2.75 and Price is at 33-11 with an ERA of 2.87.

The Rays are 0-3 when he starts this year. Any chance that turns into 0-4 by about 10 tonight?

A few in-game notes: Desmond Jennings’ homer leading off this game was his second leadoff homer of this series and the sixth in his career. Tampa has homered in the first inning of each game of the series after the Orioles had not allowed a first-inning run in the first 12 games.

When Wieters doubled in the second inning, it made him 3-for-3 this year against Price with two doubles and a homer to that point. But he was called out on strikes in the last of the fourth. He won’t hit 1.000 against him.

Miguel Gonzalez’s ERA over his last four starts against Tampa was 1.40 but tonight they took a 4-3 lead on him to the last of the fourth.