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Mets Look For Two Straight Against Orioles

(Sports Network) - Japanese-born southpaw Hisanori Takahashi makes his fifth start tonight when the National League division-contending New York Mets visit Camden Yards for the second of three interleague games with the American League cellar-dwelling Baltimore Orioles.

New York won game one on Friday, 5-1, and sits 1 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL's East Division. Baltimore, meanwhile, is dead last in the AL East, 22 games back of first-place Tampa Bay.

Chris Carter belted a three-run homer and R.A. Dickey tossed seven solid innings in the win for the Mets. David Wright also collected three hits and knocked in a pair of runs for New York, which has won six of its last seven games.

Dickey (4-0) gave up one run on seven hits while issuing just one walk. He also recorded a career-high eight strikeouts.

Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie (3-7) was tagged for four runs on seven hits over seven innings.

The Orioles have lost 13 of 15.

Takahashi, a 35-year-old Tokyo native, began his big-league career with 15 consecutive appearances out of the bullpen while racking up a 3.12 earned run average, three wins and a loss across 26 innings.

He made his first two starts on May 21 and 26, respectively, tossing 12 consecutive scoreless innings in a no-decision and a win while allowing 10 hits and striking out 11.

Takahashi's struggled in two subsequent outings, losing once and getting another no-decision while being touched for 14 hits and 11 runs in 9 1/3 innings with four walks and six strikeouts.

Takahashi is 0-1 in six road appearances - one start.

For the Orioles, second-year lefty Brian Matusz seeks his first win of 2010 at home. A five-game winner in eight starts last year, the 23-year-old is 0-2 in five starts at Camden Yards with a 4.35 ERA in 31 innings.

He started April with wins in his first two starts but is 0-6 with three no- decisions in nine subsequent outings as his ERA has risen to 5.10.

In his last start, on June 6 against Boston, Matusz allowed four hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings of the Orioles' 4-3 triumph.

He has never faced the Mets.

Baltimore took two of three from the Mets last season.