(My Sportsbook) - Desperate times call for desperate measures. The New York Yankees turn to oft-injured pitcher Carl Pavano this evening in the second test of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Pavano signed a four-year deal worth close to $40 million with the Yankees prior to the 2005 campaign, but has only started 19 games for them in that span. After missing all of the 2006 campaign, Pavano appeared in just two games for the Yanks in 2007 and last pitched in a big league game back on April 9 of last season.

The 32-year-old right-hander, often referred to as the "American Idle" in the New York tabloids, has endured a plethora of injuries in his time with the Yankees, struggling with ailments to his shoulder, back, buttocks and elbow, which he's had three surgeries on alone.

His latest recovery has been from elbow ligament replacement surgery, which was performed last June,

Pavano is 2-2 lifetime against the O's with a 3.14 ERA in five starts.

Baltimore will counter with righty Jeremy Guthrie, who had a four-start winning streak stopped in his last trip to the hill on Monday. Boston managed just two runs and five hits in seven innings off of Guthrie in that game, but he still fell to 10-9 on the year to go along with a 3.15 ERA.

Guthrie defeated the Yanks the last time he faced them and is 2-1 in his young career against New York with a 3.90 ERA in six games, five of which have been starts.

New York drew first blood in this series on Friday, as Xavier Nady drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning and also homered, helping the Yankees to a 9-4 win.

Cody Ransom added a three-run homer for the Yankees, who banged out 16 hits and won for the second time in three outings to remain six games back of Boston for the AL wild card.

Robinson Cano and Jose Molina also homered for New York, while Bobby Abreu finished 5-for-5 with an RBI and Derek Jeter was 1-for-5 and picked up his 2,500th career hit.

Yankees starter Mike Mussina allowed four runs on nine hits in six innings but picked up a no-decision. Jose Veras (4-2) picked up the win after hurling a scoreless seventh inning, while Mariano Rivera recorded his 29th save by getting the final four outs of the game.

Ramon Hernandez blasted a solo homer for the Orioles, who have dropped three of their past four. Aubrey Huff was 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.

Radhames Liz, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game, started on the hill for Baltimore and surrendered three runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. Jamie Walker (1-1) lost it after giving up two runs in the eighth.

Although the Orioles reside at the bottom of the AL East, the club has given New York its share of problems this season. Baltimore has won seven of its 13 meetings with the Bronx Bombers so far in 2008, including four of the seven games contested at Camden Yards.