(Sports Network) - The Baltimore Orioles shoot for the sweep this afternoon as the birds close out a three-game interleague set against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Camden Yards.

The team started off with a 9-6 victory in Friday's contest to snap a two-game slide and then followed that up with a thrilling 8-7 victory on Saturday. The O's, who enter Sunday seven games out of first in the American League East, needed a solo home run by Oscar Salazar to lead off the bottom of the ninth and then a run-scoring single from Ramon Hernandez to secure the narrow victory.

Brian Roberts added two doubles and two RBI, as Baltimore won its second consecutive game to climb above .500 (34-33). Nick Markakis connected on a two-run homer for the Orioles as well.

Starting pitcher Radhames Liz allowed four runs on four hits while striking out five in 6 1/3 innings, which left George Sherrill to pick up the pieces and the win, even though he blew his third save of the season in the process.

Adam LaRoche finished up 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, while Xavier Nady was also 2-for-4 with a solo shot for the Pirates. Jose Bautista belted a three- run homer, while Freddy Sanchez added a solo blast for the visitors as well, who had won four of five entering this series.

Pittsburgh starter Zach Duke, who has yet to win a game on the road this year, went six innings, giving up four runs on nine hits. Although he entered the ninth inning with a one-run lead, Matt Capps was still saddled with his second loss of the campaign..

A couple of hurlers get their first-ever starts against their respective opponents today, with the Pirates sending Paul Maholm to the hill and Baltimore countering with Daniel Cabrera.

Maholm, who is 2-0 in his last three starts for Pittsburgh, is now in his fourth major league season, all of them with the Pirates. However, on Tuesday the lefty failed to post a decision as he allowed four runs, all on home runs, in a 7-6 loss to Washington at home.

Maholm surrendered a total of 10 hits, giving up double digits for the fourth time this season. The four home runs allowed were as many as he gave up in the previous nine games combined.

Cabrera, who broke in with the Orioles in 2004, has a 5-2 record thus far in 2008, but has not won since May 20. More recently the right-hander gave up six earned runs for the second straight game on Tuesday, a 10-6 win over the Boston Red Sox.

In that contest Cabrera allowed seven hits and walked four in just five innings of work, while striking out three. For the third game in a row Cabrera was charged with a wild pitch and also picked up his fourth hit batter in three games as well.

Ryan Doumit has appeared in six of the last seven games for the Pirates and has been swinging a big bat along the way. Doumit has a team-best nine hits during the stretch, with four of those being home runs, which has helped produce seven RBI and seven runs scored. Of his four hits, three have been doubles, and still Nate McLouth is hitting only .154 in his last 26 trips to the plate.

The O's as a group have been hitting the cover off the ball in the last six games, batting a collective .300 with a total of 29 extra-base hits to help generate a .493 slugging percentage. Although he's played in just five of those six games, Luke Scott has accounted for four home runs, five RBI and seven runs scored, with Brian Roberts tacking on team highs of 10 hits and five doubles as he continues to plead his case for all-star consideration.