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Pittsburgh Pirates will try to get back to the .500 mark this evening, as they return to Baltimore for the first time in nearly 29 years to open a three-game interleague set with the Orioles at Camden Yards.
Pittsburgh hasn't played in Baltimore since winning Game 7 of the 1979 World Series at Memorial Stadium. Of course, it also clinched the 1971 World Series in Baltimore.
These days, though, a World Series title is the furthest thing from the minds of most Pirates fans, who have endured 15 straight losing seasons. Pittsburgh comes into tonight's matchup on a bit of a roll following its fourth win in five games on Thursday, a 7-5 win over the Washington Nationals.
Ryan Doumit homered and drove in three runs in that one, while Nate McLouth had two hits and scored once with an RBI in the win.
Pittsburgh's Tom Gorzelanny (5-5) gave up three runs on six hits with six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, earning his first victory since May 22. Damaso Marte pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.
Getting the call tonight for the Bucs will be left-hander Phil Dumatrait, who has won two of his last three starts. Dumatrait got the win on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as he allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings to run his record to 3-3, while lowering his earned run average to 3.44.
Baltimore will pin its hopes on lefty Brain Burres, who is 4-5 with a 4.96 ERA. Burres did not get a decision last Friday against Toronto, which managed three runs and five hits off of him in 4 1/3 innings of his team's 6-5 win.
Both pitchers will be facing their opponents for the first time this evening.
Baltimore lost its second straight game on Thursday, falling 9-2 to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Aubrey Huff had a pair of doubles and drove in a run, while Oscar Salazar added an RBI double for the Orioles, who have lost three of their last four.
Jeremy Guthrie (3-7) took the loss as he was touched for five runs on seven hits while striking out one and walking five.
Pittsburgh, which owns the worst record in interleague play at 57-94, took two of three from the O's at PNC Park in 2005. This will be the Pirates first contest against the Junior Circuit this season.
Baltimore is 81-115 all-time in interleague play.