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Orioles open weekend set with Red Sox

Sep 19, 2014 - 2:53 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Baltimore Orioles go after a fifth straight win on Friday when they open a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards.

The American League East champion Orioles come into this set on the heels of a three-game sweep over the Toronto Blue Jays that culminated with a 6-1 win on Wednesday.

While Baltimore has already secured its spot in the postseason with its first division title since 1997, it still has a shot at the top overall mark in the American League and enters the weekend 2 1/2 games back of the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with 10 games to play.

The O's, though, are eight games up at the moment on the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers.

"We want to make sure we try to keep Detroit and Kansas City from catching us," Showalter said. "I was looking at Anaheim's schedule last night. They've got a pretty tough road there at the end."

Getting the call for the Orioles on Friday will be righty Kevin Gausman, who is winless in his last five starts (0-3), but is coming off a strong showing his last time out. Gausman did not get a decision on Friday versus the New York Yankees despite throwing seven scoreless innings in his team's 2-1 win.

He is 7-7 on the year with a 3.57 ERA.

Gausman has faced the Red Sox five times (2 starts) and is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA against them.

Boston, meanwhile, will counter with righty Allen Webster, who is 4-3 with a 6.02 ERA. Webster beat Kansas City last Friday, holding the Royals to a pair of runs in six innings.

"He was efficient, he was powerful," Red Sox manager John Farrell said after Webster's last outing. "It was encouraging to see not only the number of strikes, but the overall command of the strike zone."

Webster failed to register a decision in his only other start against the O's.

After taking three of four from the Royals last weekend, Boston failed in its spoiler role this week, as it was swept in a three-game set by the Pittsburgh Pirates that included a 3-2 setback on Thursday.

Baltimore is 10-6 this season versus the Red Sox.