"Originally in the Orioles lineup tonight, third baseman Melvin Mora tested his strained left hamstring before the game and decided that he wasn't ready to return.

Mora, who said he would be available to pinch-hit, hasn't played since injuring the hamstring on Aug. 29 while trying to beat out an infield single.

"I don't want to go to third base and screw up everything," Mora said. "I can't do it. If I can do it, if I'm 80 percent, yeah I'll be there. But I don't think I can make 70 [percent]."

Mora said the hamstring tightened up on him as he was running during batting practice. He said he is hoping to return to the lineup in a couple of days. He is hitting .283 with 23 home runs and 97 RBIs. The veteran third baseman has driven in 100 runs once in his career.

"Who doesn't want to think about that?" Mora said when asked about the prospects of driving in 100. "I think about that all the time. Even early in the season, I want to drive in 100. Even when I have one, I want to drive in 100. Everyone in the majors, hitting, they want to get to 100 RBIs. Everybody. I have a chance to get to 100-something RBIs and I want to go back there to try to do it."

After scratching Mora from the lineup, manager Dave Trembley moved Aubrey Huff, who was originally scheduled to start at first base, to third, and gave Ramon Hernandez the start at first base. It was Hernandez's first start at first in his career. He has played seven games there in his career.

"Yeah, I definitely enjoy it," Hernandez said. "It will be kind of like a day off. Instead of catching, I will be standing up and around first. I like something different. You have fun playing a new position. You get kind of excited.""