Tonight's pitchers: Berken vs. Sabathia

RHP Jason Berken (4-11, 6.33) tonight will make his 19th start of the year, his 11th at home and the 2nd of his career vs. the New York Yankees. Since starting the year 1-9, 6.93, Berken is 3-2, 4.94 over his last five starts. He is 2-0, 3.37 over his last two starts. Right-handed hitters bat .307 vs. Berken while lefties hit .320 off him. The Orioles are 5-13 when Berken starts, winning the last two. He is 2-6, 5.29 in 10 Camden Yards starts. Berken has allowed 3ER or less in 10 of his 18 starts. He is 0-1, 7.50 in one start this year vs. New York. On July 22 at Yankee Stadium, he gave up five runs and seven hits over six innings. He threw 89 pitches. Berken, an O's 6th round draft pick in 2006, made 66 career minor league starts, going 25-18, 3.74. LHP CC Sabathia (15-7, 3.56) tonight will make his 29th start of this season, his 17th on the road and the of his career vs. Baltimore. Over his last two starts vs. Boston and Chicago he has fanned 18 and walked just one over 13 2/3 innings. Sabathia usually gets off to a good start. He has allowed just five first-inning runs all year and an opponent average of .184 in the opening-inning of his starts. Sabathia is tied for first in the AL in wins and leads the league in innings. He is 7th in the American League in strikeouts and 8th in ERA. Sabathia, 2009 season: First half: 8-6, 3.86, 19 starts Second half: 7-1, 2.95, 9 starts Sabathia went unbeaten in August. In six starts he was 5-0, 2.64. In 16 road starts, Sabathia is 10-5, 3.57. The Yankees are 17-11 when he starts and have won the last six in a row. Sabathia, the 2007 American League Cy Young award winner, signed with New York as a free agent in December. He signed a seven year, 161 million dollar contract, the richest ever signed by a pitcher in Major League history. On opening day, the O's scored six runs in 4 1/3 off the lefty. In two starts since vs. Baltimore, he has allowed just one run over 16 innings. Sabathia vs. Baltimore: 2009: 2-1, 3.10, three starts (20 1/3IP, 15H, 7ER) Career: 7-1, 2.55, 12 starts (84 2/3IP, 61H, 3 HR)