Red Sox @ Orioles lineups and game notes - September 19

It is the first game of the final regular season series at Camden Yards. If you're interested, tonight there will be fireworks after the game concludes. Saturday there is a giveaway of an Orioles knit cap to the first 20,000 over 15 years of age. It actually looks like a pretty nice hat, that is if it is made big enough to fit an adult's head. And finally, Sunday there is a giveaway of a Chris Tillman bobblehead (first 25,000 over 15). Perhaps the O's can steal you away from NFL Football for just another weekend or two?

Pitchers

RHP Kevin Gausman, Baltimore

2014 stats: 18 G, 7-7, 3.57 ERA, 103.1 IP, 101 H, 5 HR 37 BB, 80 SO, .262 BAA, 1.34 WHIP
Last start (vs. NY Yankees): 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0 ER, ND
Career against Boston: 5 G, 2 GS, 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 15.0 IP, 19 SO, 2 BB

Gausman is pitching as well as he ever has at the big league level. He has lasted at least seven innings in each of his last three outings; 21.1 IP, 17 H, 2 BB, 21 SO, 6 ER. That's an ERA of 2.53 in those starts, bringing his season ERA down by nearly 0.40.

The one time the righty has faced Boston this season was back on July 6 at Fenway Park. That day, he went 5.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

It seems as though he has to be a lock to make the postseason roster in some capacity. Will it be as a starter or reliever? With the rest of the rotation performing so well, he would seem to be the odd man out. He will likely have one more start after this to make manager Buck Showalter's decision just a bit more difficult.

RHP Allen Webster, Boston

2014 stats: 9 G, 4-3, 6.02 ERA, 46.1 IP, 44 H, 3 HR, 26 BB, 28 SO, .259 BAA, 1.51 WHIP
Last start (@ Kansas City): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2 ER, W
Career against Baltimore: 1 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 2 SO, 3 BB

The only time Webster has ever faced the O's was back on September 29 of last year. He started the game but only went three innings in a match-up in which Boston used seven pitchers to throw eight innings in a 7-6 Orioles win.

The rookie was part of the Dodgers-Red Sox mega-deal that went down in 2012. Entering the season, he was ranked as Boston's fourth-best prospect by Baseball America. Right now, MLB.com has him listed at number three behind Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr.

The 24-year-old out of Greensboro, North Carolina features three pitches. His fastball has an average velocity of 91.9 mph, his silder averages 84 mph and his changeup is just below that at 83.5 mph. He does also have a curveball, but he has thrown it less than one percent of the time in 2014. It is the slowest of his repertoire at just 76.6 mph on average.

For Orioles (stats against Webster): No one on the Orioles has ever gotten a hit against Webster. Pearce, Markakis, Schoop and Clevenger are each 0-for-1. Hardy is 0-for-2. Hundley is 0-for-3. The only players in tonight's lineup that were with Baltimore in August of 2013 are Flaherty and Pearce.

For Red Sox (stats against Gausman): Ortiz is 2-for-5 with a home run and double. Cespedes is 2-for-6, Bogaerts is 1-for-3, Middlebrooks is 1-for-3 with a double, Napoli is 1-for-4 with a double, Bradley is 0-for-1, Holt is 0-for-2, Ross is 0-for-3 and Nava is 0-for-6.

Notes

• This weekend is the Fan Appreciation Celebration with the Orioles. MASN's Roch Kubatko laid out all of the details in a post yesterday.
• In the same vein, you have got to check out the Orioles "We Won't Stop" video. I'm not sure it is as good as similar projects they have done, but it will get you smiling.
• If you are thinking of going to the game tomorrow, be sure to check out the walk for LUNGevity being held at the ballpark earlier in the day.
• The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation had a golf tournament today. Cal Jr. dressed up for the occassion.
• On this day in 2013, the Orioles were 81-71, 11 games out of first place in the East.