masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgTonight the Orioles try to figure out how to hit Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova. While Nova doesn’t have dominant career numbers against the Orioles, he has been dominant in his last two starts against them.

On July 5 Nova pitched a complete game, three-hitter in a 3-2 Yankees win. On Aug. 31 at Camden Yards he pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win. He needed just 102 pitches in the first game and 104 in the second. The Orioles hit .105 (6-for-57) in those two games.

He is…Tonight the Orioles try to figure out how to hit Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova. While Nova doesn’t have dominant career numbers against the Orioles, he has been dominant in his last two starts against them.

On July 5 Nova pitched a complete game, three-hitter in a 3-2 Yankees win. On Aug. 31 at Camden Yards he pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win. He needed just 102 pitches in the first game and 104 in the second. The Orioles hit .105 (6-for-57) in those two games.

He is also facing an O’s team that has now tied a season-high by scoring four runs or more in seven consecutive games. Thanks to a recent run of strong starting pitching, the O’s have gone 4-3 in those games.

Miguel Gonzalez pitches for the Orioles. He is 2-2 with a 3.50 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees, including the postseason. He gave up seven runs over four innings two starts ago to New York, but pitched to an ERA of 2.37 in his first three starts against them this year.

Some other O’s and Yankees notes:

* The Orioles went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position last night, making them 5-for-45 (.111) on this homestand and 9-for-72 (.125) in their last eight games.

* The O’s pitching has worked to an ERA of 1.96 on this homestand and the starters ERA is 2.43. O’s pitchers have walked just five with 47 strikeouts the last five games at home.

* Manny Machado has a double in three-straight games. He has done that twice before this season, but has never doubled in four games in a row. Machado leads the majors with 49 doubles, one more than Matt Carpenter of St. Louis. With his next two-bagger, Machado will have the fifth 50-double season in O’s history.

56 – Brian Roberts, 2009
51 – Brian Robers, 2008
50 – Brian Roberts, 2004 and Miguel Tejada, 2005

* Chris Tillman slowed a recently hot Yankees offense last night. New York scored 50 runs in the last seven games, before Tillman and the O’s held them to two last night.

* Over his last 10 games, Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner is batting .378 with six doubles, two triples, nine RBIs, a .452 OBP and .649 slugging percentage.