masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgWave goodbye to the designated hitter for the next two nights. Enjoy watching Orioles pitchers try to lay down bunts without losing a finger.
Zach Britton may get more save chances, but I’d bat him cleanup. He’s 5-for-8 with a double and home run in the majors.
Britton went 2-for-3 with a run scored in a June 22, 2011 game at PNC Park. Let him swing away.
With Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano on the mound tonight, the Orioles’ lineup most likely will include Nelson Cruz in left field,…

Wave goodbye to the designated hitter for the next two nights. Enjoy watching Orioles pitchers try to lay down bunts without losing a finger.

Zach Britton may get more save chances, but I’d bat him cleanup. He’s 5-for-8 with a double and home run in the majors.

Britton went 2-for-3 with a run scored in a June 22, 2011 game at PNC Park. Let him swing away.

With Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano on the mound tonight, the Orioles’ lineup most likely will include Nelson Cruz in left field, Jonathan Schoop at second base and Caleb Joseph behind the plate. That’s been the arrangement against southpaws.

Delmon Young is 4-for-8 with a double, triple and home run against Liriano, but there’s no room for him in the lineup unless manager Buck Showalter sits Nick Markakis and moves Cruz to right field. Markakis is 5-for-14 against Liriano and he’s the leadoff hitter on this team. Who would replace him atop the order tonight?

Adam Jones has four hits in 15 career at-bats against Liriano, but that includes three home runs.

Liriano is 0-3 with a 4.25 ERA in nine starts this season and 2-3 with a 4.21 ERA in seven career starts against the Orioles. He’s held left-handed hitters to a lifetime .215 average, but they’re batting .278 against him this year. Right-handers are hitting .235.

The Orioles swept the Pirates in a May 1 doubleheader at Camden Yards and swept them in a three-game series in Baltimore in June 2012. They’ve lost two of three in Pittsburgh in 2005 and 2011.

We will not discuss the 1971 and 1979 World Series.

Miguel Gonzalez is 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA in four road starts this season. He’s never faced the Pirates, but he owns a 3.46 ERA in two career interleague starts last season.

Gonazalez may be the most vulnerable member of the rotation if the Orioles decide to make a change. He hasn’t started since May 10, when he completed seven innings for the first time this season and held the Astros to two runs. He allowed two runs in two relief innings on Wednesday.

It would benefit him to turn in a quality start tonight.

The Orioles are 3-5 against left-handed starters this season, and they’re facing two in this series.

I’ve got a 10:05 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh. Place your pierogi orders and I’ll try to hook you up.