Tonight's pitchers: Hernandez vs. Cahill

RHP David Hernandez (3-4, 3.96) tonight makes his 10th start of the season, his 4th at home and the 1st of his career vs. Oakland. Hernandez was pitching very well until his last two starts, when he has failed to pitch even five innings each vs. Boston and Detroit. He is 0-2, 8.59 in those outings, giving up 14 hits and seven earned runs over 7 1/3 innings. He allowed three homers in the two starts. Before that, over a four-start stretch, Hernandez went 2-0, 2.45. The final two starts of that stretch were at New York and Boston and he gave up just 2ER combined in 13 innings in those outings for a 1.38 ERA. Right-handed hitters are batting .300 vs. Hernandez while lefties are batting .268. When pitching with runners in scoring position, the average against him is just .167. The Orioles are 4-5 in his nine starts. In three home starts, he is 1-2, 3.45. Hernandez struck out 599 batters in 522 career minor-league innings. This year at the Major League level, he has fanned 28 in 52 1/3 innings. Hernandez pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief at Oakland on June 6th. He gave up four hits with no walks and four strikeouts. RHP Trevor Cahill (6-11, 5.13) tonight will make his 24th start of this year, his 10th on the road and his 2nd of the season vs. Baltimore. Cahill has struggled recently and, over his last three starts, is 0-3, 9.37. He is tied for second in the AL in losses. Cahill, 2009 season: First 15 starts: 5-5, 3.68 and .253 opponent ave. Last 8 starts: 1-6, 8.19 and .333 opponent ave. Cahill has allowed 25 homers, second in the AL to the Orioles Jeremy Guthrie. Of the 25, 19 have come at home, 19 have been solo shots and 19 have been hit by left-handed batters. He has allowed at least one homer in nine straight games, giving up 15 total in that time. His strikeout to walks ratio of 1.16 is second lowest in the Majors (Suppan, Milw, 1.13). Right-handers hitters bat .261 with a slugging percentage of .413 vs. Cahill while lefties bat .298 and slug .603 vs. him. In nine road starts, he is 1-4, 5.98. The A's are 10-13 when he starts, but have lost three in a row. In his only previous game vs. the Orioles, he was the winning pitcher, June 6th at Oakland. He pitched six innings and allowed six hits and two runs with five strikeouts.