masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgAs I wrote in my last entry, shortstop Cesar Izturis is expected to start tomorrow night. He hasn’t been in the lineup since April 17.

Izturis is the type of individual who won’t sulk while he’s sitting. He’s also available to counsel Robert Andino.

“As advertised, as we thought,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It was a good move for us. Izzy’s like having a seventh coach. He gets it, he understands the game. He’s going to do this for a long time when he quits playing. He’s going to…As I wrote in my last entry, shortstop Cesar Izturis is expected to start tomorrow night. He hasn’t been in the lineup since April 17.

Izturis is the type of individual who won’t sulk while he’s sitting. He’s also available to counsel Robert Andino.

“As advertised, as we thought,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It was a good move for us. Izzy’s like having a seventh coach. He gets it, he understands the game. He’s going to do this for a long time when he quits playing. He’s going to help us on the field and in the clubhouse and in the dugout. He’s locked into every pitch. I can always go down there and bounce something off him from a player’s perspective. He’s great for all our players. He’s a voice of reality, and if you want to hear what you need to hear and not what you want to hear, Izzy’s the guy to go to. Sharp. Really sharp.

“You know what I think of him. He’s pretty special people. He’s actually played pretty well for us, too. Hopefully, if Robert’s career goes forward, he’ll look back at this time with Izzy as being part of that. He’s going to play some, too. He’s not some ceremonial whatever. He’s going to play.”

Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero have occupied the first four spots in the lineup in every game this season. According to the Orioles’ PR staff, the last time the Orioles had the same 1 through 4 hitters for the first 18 games was in 2004 with Roberts, Melvin Mora, Miguel Tejada and Rafael Palmeiro.

Roberts takes a nine-game hitting streak into tonight’s game. He’s batting .368 (14-for-38) with two doubles, a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored during that stretch.

Nick Markakis is 3-for-28 since his 10th-inning single on April 14 in New York.

The Orioles average 5.9 runs per game in their eight wins and 2.4 runs in their 10 losses.

Robinson Cano is batting .432 (35-for-81) against the Orioles since the start of the 2010 season, with five doubles, five homers and 15 RBIs in 20 games. He’s hitting .453 since 2009, with 12 doubles, 11 homers and 32 RBIs in 38 games.

CC Sabathia is 14-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 20 starts against the Orioles. His only loss at Camden Yards came on Opening Day 2009 in his Yankees debut.