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Orioles look to deal with frustrations against Blue Jays

May 15, 2007 - 2:35 PM Baltimore (18-21) at Toronto (16-22) 7:07 pm EDT

TORONTO (Ticker) -- As the Baltimore Orioles' pitching finds different ways to blow leads, the frustration has seemingly carried over to the rest of the team.

The Orioles try to overcome another disappointing outing and some team dissension when they continue a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.

Baltimore has dropped three straight games, including a 5-3 loss to Toronto in the series opener. They led by three runs before failing to hold the lead a day after giving up a five-run advantage in the ninth of a 6-5 setback against Boston.

Monday's defeat included an angry exchange between Baltimore teammates Jay Payton and Melvin Mora, who traded words and reportedly almost came to blows as they left the field.

The dispute stemmed from Payton's ninth-inning at-bat, when Mora took off for third base on defensive indifference, leading Payton to take a called strike on that pitch and falling behind 1-2 in the count before grounding out to end the game.

"It's just the way we (are losing) games; we've got to correct some of the things we've been doing," Payton said. "We've got to get better and help each other. I'm not perfect (and) I make mistakes. We can't keep losing games the way we've been losing them."

Mora was equally apologetic.

"It's my fault because I went over there (on the third base defensive indifference)," Mora said. "I made a mistake. I apologized to Jay after the game. There was a little incident and we don't need that now."

Baltimore will ask Daniel Cabrera (3-3, 4.59 ERA) to help stop the bleeding and build some momentum for the club when he takes the mound. He allowed a season-high six runs and eight hits - including two homers - over six innings in an 11-6 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Thursday.

Cabrera, who has been helped by eight runs of support in each of his last two starts, is 4-5 with a 4.28 ERA in 12 starts versus the Blue Jays, but is 4-1 with a 1.77 ERA in his last six outings against them.

The righthander will attempt to slow down Toronto slugger Troy Glaus, who went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer on Monday in his first action since missing the last two contests.

The veteran third baseman is batting a team-leading .324 with seven homers and 17 RBI. Cabrera has struck out Glaus four of the eight times the pair has faced each other.

The Blue Jays will counter with rookie Jesse Litsch (NR), who is making his major league debut. The 22-year-old righthander will be called up from Class AA New Hampshire to fill in for the injured Roy Halladay, who went on the disabled list on Friday following an appendectomy.

Litsch was 5-1 with a 0.96 ERA in six starts for New Hampshire this season, throwing seven scoreless innings in his last appearances.