O's game blog: Orioles look to even series with Yankees

After losing to the New York Yankees at Camden Yards last night, the Orioles need a win tonight to even the series and get them back to the .500 mark at 4-4.

They last were two games under .500 at 5-7 last April 13.

On the mound, Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 1.59 ERA) pitches against left-hander CC Sabathia (0-1, 6.35 ERA).

Gonzalez went 5 2/3 innings in his first start, last Wednesday at Tampa Bay, allowing three hits and one run, with five walks (tying his career-high) and five strikeouts. He took the 2-0 loss after going 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 American League East starts last year.

Gonzalez is making his 11th career start against the Yankees. He has a mark of 2-3 with a 3.88 ERA and eight quality starts against them. In four career starts versus New York at Camden Yards, he is 0-1 with a 3.33 ERA and four quality starts

Sabathia made just eight starts in 2014 before going on the disabled list May 14 with right knee inflammation, which led to arthroscopic surgery on July 23. In his first start Thursdsay in a 6-3 loss to Toronto, he went 5 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned).

He ranks 25th all-time in wins (208) by a left-handed pitcher, one behind Vida Blue (209).

Sabathia is 18-6 with an ERA of 3.34 in 30 career starts against the Orioles and has a 3.76 ERA since joining the Yankees. But he is winless in his last six starts at Camden Yards, going going 0-4 with a 5.54 ERA since the start of 2012.

In the very early AL leaders, Adam Jones is third in batting average (.440), tied for first in RBIs (nine), first in slugging (.880) and second in total bases (22).

More O's notes:

* After fanning Alex Rodriguez to end the top of the fourth inning last night, Wei-Yin Chen recorded his 400th career strikeout. Chen becomes the 11th left-hander in club history to record 400 or more career strikeouts.

* After going 3-for-4 in the series opener, Jones passed B.J. Surhoff and Paul Blair for sole possession of 10th place with his 83rd career three-plus hit game as an Oriole. Boog Powell is ninth on the list with 86 career games as an Oriole with three or more hits. Cal Ripken Jr. holds the club record with 229.

* Alejandro De Aza has a six-game hitting streak, hitting safely in each of his six games played this season. De Aza's longest hitting streak of 2014 was eight games, set September 2-12 (.394/.459/.727).

* The Orioles went 7-2 at home against New York last year and are 11-5 against New York at home since last June 21.