BALTIMORE — The defending World Series champion Houston Astros close the 2018 regular season with their only trip to Baltimore this weekend http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-deven-marrero-jersey , and the first game of their four-game series with the Orioles now will be played Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Camden Yards. Rain washed out Thursday’s scheduled series opener, and it will be made up as part of a Saturday doubleheader. That will be a straight twinbill, which starts at 4:05 p.m. ET with the second game starting about 30 minutes after the first contest ends. There was not much chance of getting a game in Thursday as it rained all day, with the postponement coming about 30 minutes before the scheduled start.The starters will remain the same Friday. Gerrit Cole (15-5, 2.92 ERA) goes for Houston while David Hess (3-10, 5.14) starts for the Orioles.Article continues below ...Astros manager AJ Hinch said there were several reasons for doing the doubleheader Saturday especially since there’s a chance of rain again Friday.“Obviously, you want to do your best to play and keep the integrity of the schedule Clay Buchholz Jersey , but the worst outcome would have been to play a partial night or play in miserable conditions with the threat of injury,” Hinch told reporters. “I think it worked out for both teams. Those guys are coming off 18 innings … and we certainly don’t want to play on a wet field.”Houston already has clinched the American League West and will play the Indians in the Division Series. That starts on Oct. 5.Cole has given an already-strong Astros’ starting staff even more punch this season. He has won five decisions in a row and last lost on Aug. 10. This will be the first time Cole has pitched against the Orioles in his career.Hess has been up and down during his rookie season. The right-hander has gone 1-5 in the past two months but pitched effectively on several occasions.This will be the first time he’s ever gone against the Astros.Houston (100-58) is coming off a 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays Wednesday in a game that really meant nothing. The Astros actually clinched the division title very early Wednesday morning when Oakland lost to Seattle.However, Houston officially celebrated in the locker room after the loss in Toronto, and now will prepare for this four-game series in Baltimore that really holds little meaning.Baltimore is starting the final series of a historically poor season. To make matters worse, the Orioles have run out of pitchers at times, especially in the starting rotation, which is a big reason they went with a committee approach in Wednesday’s day-night doubleheader in Boston.The Orioles are coming into this series after splitting that doubleheader. Boston crushed the Orioles 19-3 in the first game — the biggest margin of defeat for the Orioles (46-112) in this forgetful season. However Andrew Chafin Jersey , Baltimore bounced back and pulled out a 10-3 victory in the nightcap, thanks to seven runs in the final three innings.The biggest Orioles question might be whether manager Buck Showalter will return next year, but the skipper brushed that off when the media talked with him about it Thursday.“Whatever stuff like that, we all have some private thoughts and emotions about that, but I don’t think it serves the organization well for me to be worried about that right now,” Showalter told the media. “We’ve got some things to do these last four games.” LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Gausman will likely start Game 3 for the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Braves manager Brian Snitker said he is leaning toward using the 27-year-old right-hander when the series shifts to Atlanta on Sunday.However, the Braves decided not to send Gausman back to Atlanta on Friday in case he was needed for Game 2.“If it does and he has to pitch Darryl Strawberry Jersey , then we’ll adjust and regroup from there,” Snitker said. “But as of right now, if everything goes where it is, he’ll be the Game 3 starter.”Snitker said Game 1 starter Mike Foltynewicz is under consideration to start Game 4 if necessary on Monday at SunTrust Park.The Dodgers won the opener 6-0.Gausman joined the Braves from Baltimore at the non-waiver trade deadline in July in a six-player deal. He was 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 10 starts for the Braves.Gausman has one previous postseason appearance, having pitched in relief for three games with Baltimore in the 2014 American League Division Series against Detroit and the American League Championship Series against Kansas City. He allowed one run over eight innings in the three games for a 1.13 ERA.Gausman’s only career appearance against the Dodgers came on July 6, 2017, while with the Orioles. He allowed four runs and eight hits over five innings in a no-decision.The Dodgers will send rookie Walker Buehler to the mound on Sunday.The 24-year-old right-hander last pitched on Monday http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-jacob-degrom-jersey , allowing one hit in 6 2/3 innings and striking out three in the NL West tiebreaker victory over the Rockies.Buehler was 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA, becoming a solid No. 2 behind ace Clayton Kershaw.“If it wasn’t for Walker, we probably wouldn’t be here in this situation right now,” second baseman Enrique Hernandez said Friday. “He’s been huge.”Buehler made his lone career start against the Braves on June 8 at Dodger Stadium, allowing one run and two hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-3 victory. He struck out four and didn’t walk anyone on 71 pitches.