Orioles starting pitcher Kevin Gausman had one of his worst starts of the season Sunday at Oakland, allowing five runs on nine hits and two walks in four innings.
"I think they were just really aggressive, and I think you get confidence as a hitter when you get a couple hits in a game, and I think everybody had a hit off me today," Gausman said, per The Baltimore Sun. "That’s tough for when our guys come in. I really didn’t establish the fastball in as much as I did the first time I faced them, so it kind of takes away that outer half."
Gausman had entered play Sunday with a 4-1 record and 2.36 ERA in his previous six starts. It seems manager Buck Showalter isn't putting too much stock into one bad outing, especially since it was Gausman's first one after the All-Star break.
"I thought stuffwise he was OK," Showalter said of Gausman's performance Sunday. "You’ve got starters with six, seven days in between. You’ve got relief pitchers with seven, eight, nine, 10 days [in between]. It’s tough to get back in. Can you imagine hitters going seven to 10 days without getting any at bats? … You kind of give them a little pass knowing that it’s going to get better moving forward."