masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgFirst baseman Chris Davis will swing a bat tomorrow down in Sarasota as he begins baseball activities.

Jason Berken will head to Sarasota later this week to begin a throwing program after his wife is induced at 6 a.m. tomorrow. He’ll hold his baby girl before holding a baseball.

The Orioles want Berken to pitch in a few games in September before he comes off the disabled list, but the minor league seasons end next week. They might have to organize simulated games at the minor league…First baseman Chris Davis will swing a bat tomorrow down in Sarasota as he begins baseball activities.

Jason Berken will head to Sarasota later this week to begin a throwing program after his wife is induced at 6 a.m. tomorrow. He’ll hold his baby girl before holding a baseball.

The Orioles want Berken to pitch in a few games in September before he comes off the disabled list, but the minor league seasons end next week. They might have to organize simulated games at the minor league complex.

The Orioles hope to activate Berken no later than mid-September.

Left-hander Troy Patton will come off the restricted list tomorrow. He had flight issues today.

Jeremy Guthrie, Jo-Jo Reyes and Tommy Hunter are the listed starters for the Toronto series that begins tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Zach Britton is tentatively scheduled to start Friday night against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.

Manager Buck Showalter could stick with a six-man rotation, which would include Brian Matusz, but he hasn’t decided.

Showalter joked that it could be a seven- or eight-man rotation, depending on call-ups and what the Orioles do with Jim Johnson.

A victory tonight would give the Orioles their first series win against the Yankees at home since April 6-9, 2009. The Orioles haven’t taken a four-game series from the Yankees since Sept. 4-7, 1997 in New York, when they won three of four. The Orioles haven’t won a four-game series against the Yankees at home since Sept. 13-16, 1982, when they swept five games.

I’ll never forget listening to those games on radio. Yes, it was that long ago.

Alfredo Simon is searching for his career-high fifth win tonight. His first strikeout will be the 100th of his career.

After tying their season-high with three errors Aug. 21 in Anaheim, the Orioles have not made an error in their last seven games – a span of 63 consecutive innings.

J.J. Hardy has hit in 11 straight games, going 18-for-50 (.360) with three doubles, two homers, six RBIs and 10 runs scored. It’s tied for the fourth-longest hitting streak of his career. His career-high is a 19-game streak from April 19-May 8, 2007.

Mark Reynolds has hit in eight straight games, going 13-for-33 (.394) with a double, a triple, three homers and eight RBIs.

The Orioles are batting .360 (41-for-114) with runners in scoring position over the last 13 games. Prior to that, they were batting .252 (222-for-881) with runners in scoring position.

For the Yankees:
Brett Gardner LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez SS

Freddy Garcia RHP