masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles’ offense has not exactly been prolific lately. But maybe tonight they will get things going versus struggling Yankee right-hander Phil Hughes.

While the Orioles have pitched well on this homestand – with a team ERA of 3.14 in seven games – the O’s are averaging only 3.7 runs per game in the White Sox and Yankees series.

The Orioles have scored four runs or fewer in eight of the last nine and 12 of the last 16 games.

But Hughes is 4-13 on the year with an ERA of 5.11. In his…The Orioles’ offense has not exactly been prolific lately. But maybe tonight they will get things going versus struggling Yankee right-hander Phil Hughes.

While the Orioles have pitched well on this homestand – with a team ERA of 3.14 in seven games – the O’s are averaging only 3.7 runs per game in the White Sox and Yankees series.

The Orioles have scored four runs or fewer in eight of the last nine and 12 of the last 16 games.

But Hughes is 4-13 on the year with an ERA of 5.11. In his last outing, which was Friday in relief, he gave up four runs in 1/3 of an inning against Boston

Since Aug. 1, Hughes is 0-4 with an ERA of 7.46. He gives up an average of .294 against lefty batters and .282 vs. right-handers. In his last six games versus the Orioles, Hughes is 2-2 with a 6.16 ERA.

The O’s offense, looking for that six-, seven- or eight-run game, needs to get one tonight.

More notes on the O’s:

* Chris Davis needs one more homer to tie Brady Anderson’s club record with 50. When he gets number 50, Davis will become the third player in major league history to have a 50-homer, 40-double season, joining Babe Ruth (59 homers/44 doubles) in 1921 and Albert Belle (52 homers/50 doubles) in 1995.

* Tonight O’s starter, Wei-Yin Chen, is 7-7 with an ERA of 3.82. Chen has given up the homer ball more lately. He allowed just six homers in his first 14 starts, but has given up seven over his last five starts.

* When he pitches in the sixth inning or later this year, Chen’s ERA is 6.46 and he allows a .301 batting average.

* Davis, who became the first Oriole to ever hit 40 or more doubles and homers in the same season last night, has hit 27 homers at Oriole Park this year. That ties for the most at home ever by an Oriole and is a stadium record. Frank Robinson hit 27 at Memorial Stadium in 1966.

* Tonight’s game will decide the season series with the Orioles and Yankees tied at 9-9. The last time the O’s won a season series from New York was 1997 and since then they have lost 13 and tied two.

* The Yankees have scored 64 runs in their last 10 games, getting six or more in seven of the last 10 games.

* Some O’s hitters looking to get it going tonight include Michael Morse, who is in an 0-for-15 slump, and Matt Wieters, who is 0-for-11 his past four games. Nick Markakis is batting .216 his last 20 games. Nate McLouth is hitting .188 his past 25 games. Adam Jones is 1-for-11 in this series.