• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Cabrera looks to get back on track vs. Pirates

Jun 15, 2008 - 2:07 PM Pittsburgh (33-36) at Baltimore (34-33) 1:35 pm EDT

BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Daniel Cabrera will attempt to recover from a pair of bad outings when the Baltimore Orioles host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the finale of a three-game interleague series Sunday.

For 10 straight starts, Cabrera (5-2, 4.35 ERA) was beginning to look like the ace that many predicted he would become when he burst onto the scene in 2004. The intimidating righthander went 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA in 10 outings between April 12 and May 30 this season.

Cabrera credited much of his success with a new-found reliance on a power sinkerball.

But lately he has looked more like the pitcher who led the American League in losses, walks and earned runs allowed in 2007. The Dominican native has surrendered six runs in each of his last two starts, covering a total of 11 innings.

He lasted just five innings Tuesday at Boston and threw only 54 of 95 pitches for strikes.

The Orioles won a wild one on Saturday night when Ramon Hernandez drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth with a single. Oscar Salazar had tied it earlier in the inning with his first major league home run since April 19, 2002.

The lead changed hands six times before Baltimore finally grabbed the victory.

The Pirates will send Paul Maholm (4-5, 4.55) to the mound in the finale. The lefthander did not factor in the decision in his last start after posting two straight wins.

Maholm has been inconsistent all season, allowing two earned runs or less in five starts and four earned runs or more in his other eight outings.