Baltimore manager Dave Trembley can?t explain it. For as good as Daniel Cabrera has beenduring the middle and late innings, he?s been equally as bad in the game?s early stages.
Cabrera has allowed at least one run in the first three innings in 19 of his 25 starts this season. Cabrera?s latest start symbolized his season, as Seattle scored three times in its first-at bat last week before knocking Cabrera out of the game by scoring eight runs in the first six innings.
However, if Cabrera can reach the late stages of a game, he blossoms into a dominating pitcher. From the seventh inning on, opponents are hitting just .217 against him–51 points than the opponents? batting average in the first three innings.
“It?s all about competing and playing every game to the best of your capabilities,” Trembley said. “If you do all the little things correctly and get into late in the game, you?ll have a chance, especially with the make-up of some of the guys on this team.”
Trembley and the Orioles should know right away how they?ll fare when Cabrera (8-12, 5.14 ERA) takes the mound against the Yankees tonight at 7 in Yankee Stadium. The Orioles (54-62) are coming off their first series win against the Boston Red Sox since 2005 after winning two of three games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards this past weekend. The Orioles won two of three games against the American East Division-leading Red Sox in their final at-bat, highlighted by Kevin Millar?s three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning that gave his team a 6-3 victory.
“To win the way we did, with the two come-back wins, it was great,” said Nick Markakis, whose sacrifice fly in the ninth lifted his team to a 6-5 victory.
Now, the Orioles are hoping Cabrera will silence New York?s powerful offense early, enabling the Orioles to take command of the game. In Cabrera?s last start against the Yankees on July 29, he allowed four runs in the first two innings, as the Yankees won 10-6. New York (66-51) entered the week trailing Boston (70-47) by just four games.
“[New York?s] been the hottest team in the big leagues and they?ve been swinging the bats as good as anybody,” Kevin Millar said. “That?s the way their lineup was built.”
It?s integral Cabrera, who is second on the team behind Erik Bedard in strikeouts (122) and innings pitched (157 2/3) gets off to a good start against the Yankees, who boast a much more potent attack than Seattle. The Yankees feature five starters who are hitting at least .300, led by catcher Jorge Posada, whose .338 average in the seventh-highest in the major leagues.
“Early in the game I made a couple good pitches, and they?d hit a ground ball into the hole for a base hit,” Cabrera said. “There?s nothing you can do about it; you just have to keep trying to get them out.”
