Oakland @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 30, 2010 ) Oakland 6, Baltimore 9

The power-starved Baltimore Orioles enjoyed a rare offensive outburst Wednesday.

Things probably won't come as easily in Thursday's series finale.

Trevor Cahill aims for his eighth win of the season as the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles face off in the rubber match of their three-game series at Camden Yards. The Athletics opened with a 4-2 victory Tuesday, while the Orioles answered by rallying for a 9-6 triumph the following night.

Following a so-so rookie season in 2009, Cahill has been the most impressive Oakland starter this year. The 22-year-old right-hander is a sizzling 6-0 over his last eight starts, and was at his stingiest in his last outing, limiting Pittsburgh to two hits over 7 2/3 scoreless innings of a 5-0 Athletics win. He struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter while dropping his ERA to a season-low 2.88.

The former second-round pick has a decent track record against Baltimore, going 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in three starts all-time. One of those victories came in their last meeting as he surrendered a run on two hits over six strong innings, leading Oakland past the Orioles 6-1.

The A's are 9-3 in his starts so far in 2010.

He'll be hoping to make out better than Wednesday's Oakland starter, Ben Sheets. The veteran left after six innings with a 6-4 lead, but the Athletics bullpen fell apart down the stretch and Baltimore stormed back to win. The result left Sheets with just one victory in his last 10 starts, while ending Oakland's four-game winning streak.

Despite the team's struggles Wednesday, Oakland leadoff hitter Coco Crisp continues to rake. Crisp has been red-hot since returning from the disabled list, hitting 11-for-27 in that seven-game span with two home runs, six RBIs and three stolen bases. He finished a homer short of the cycle in Tuesday's game, and belted a three-run shot in defeat a night later.

The Orioles counter with rookie right-hander Jake Arrieta (2-1) as they seek their sixth win in the past seven games. Arrieta opened his major-league career with back-to-back victories but has struggled since, failing to pitch more than 4 1/3 innings in each of his past two starts. That's how long he lasted his last time out, surrendering six runs in a 7-6 loss to the Washington Nationals.

A fifth-round pick in 2007, Arrieta has struggled with his control in his brief major-league career, issuing 12 walks through 20 1/3 innings.

The Orioles will likely be without outfielder Luke Scott for the finale, after he injured himself running the bases following his seventh-inning home run in Wednesday's victory. Scott said after the game he felt a pull in his hamstring, and believed he was headed for a stint on the disabled list.