masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgDana Eveland is making his Orioles debut tonight in the series opener between the O’s and Tampa Bay.

The Orioles are Eveland’s seventh major league team since he was drafted in the 16th round of the 2002 draft by Milwaukee. Last September, Eveland went 3-2 with an ERA of 3.03 with the Los Angeles Dodgers after spending most of the 2011 season at Triple-A.

Tonight, he will making his 60th career major league start but his first ever on three days’ rest. He last started on Monday for…Dana Eveland is making his Orioles debut tonight in the series opener between the O’s and Tampa Bay.

The Orioles are Eveland’s seventh major league team since he was drafted in the 16th round of the 2002 draft by Milwaukee. Last September, Eveland went 3-2 with an ERA of 3.03 with the Los Angeles Dodgers after spending most of the 2011 season at Triple-A.

Tonight, he will making his 60th career major league start but his first ever on three days’ rest. He last started on Monday for Triple-A Norfolk and threw five shutout innings against Louisville. He was pulled from that game after 63 pitches in anticipation that he could be needed here, and here he is.

In those 59 career big league starts, Eveland has gone 17-22 with an ERA of 5.38.

The lefty was pitching well for Norfolk, going 3-2 with an ERA of 2.21 over six starts there. He had allowed two earned runs or less five times and had five quality starts at Triple-A.

Over 36 2/3 Norfolk innings, Eveland did not allow a homer, with six walks to 19 strikeouts. Lefty batters hit .261 off him and right-handed hitters batted .281. He had a 1.79 ground-to-air out ratio.

In three career starts against Tampa, Eveland is 2-1 with an ERA of 2.84. He threw his only career complete game for Oakland against Tampa on May 21, 2008. He has held the Rays to a .209 average in his three outings.

Tonight, he is trying to stem the tide of some recently shaky Orioles starting pitching. Over the last five games, O’s starters have pitched to an ERA of 7.36 with just one quality start.

Eveland struggles: Eveland struggled with his control through the first four innings tonight after he had a 1-2-3 top of the first on eight pitches. Tampa scored twice in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.

Through four, Eveland walked five and hit two batters. He got help from a double play ball in the second and a play at the plate for an out in the fourth where Sean Rodriguez put a shoulder into Matt Wieters, but Wieters held his ground for the out.