Kevin Gausman has navigated this season, mostly successfully, believing that singles won't truly hurt him. A hit here and a hit there, with some effective pitch-making to follow, can still lead to a good day on the mound.
Those fortunes finally turned Thursday night at Camden Yards when the Orioles lost, 5-4, in their makeup game against the Philadelphia Phillies, dropping them to a league-worst 26-68 with three games remaining before the All-Star break, as Gausman allowed five runs on a career-high 12 hits.
His previous season high was the 11 hits he allowed in 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball May 11 against the Tampa Bay Rays.