masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgGame Preview
Orioles (60-93) at Cleveland (62-91)

When two baseball teams working on long losing steaks collided Friday night in Cleveland, the Indians ended their frustration while the Orioles must wait at least a few more hours.

A loss Friday and Cleveland would have equaled its longest streak ever – 12 games in May of 1931.

But the Indians took advantage of O’s mistakes and Baltimore’s lack of clutch hitting to post a 4-2 win on Friday. That was game one of a three-game…Game Preview
Orioles (60-93) at Cleveland (62-91)

When two baseball teams working on long losing steaks collided Friday night in Cleveland, the Indians ended their frustration while the Orioles must wait at least a few more hours.

A loss Friday and Cleveland would have equaled its longest streak ever – 12 games in May of 1931.

But the Indians took advantage of O’s mistakes and Baltimore’s lack of clutch hitting to post a 4-2 win on Friday. That was game one of a three-game series.

Tonight, at 7:05 p.m. at Cleveland, Jason Berken (5-12, 6.41) pitches for the Orioles and Jeremy Sowers (6-10, 4.92) for the Indians.

The O’s allowed an unearned run, let another run score on a bases-loaded walk and at the plate, went 1 for 9 Friday with runners in scoring position.

The Orioles have now lost a season-high eight in a row.

During the O’s losing streak:
*They have been out-scored 52-21
*The team average is just .245
*The team ERA is 5.66.

The last streak longer than this for an O’s squad was a ten-game skid in September of 2008.

The Orioles have lost 10 of 12, 16 of 22 and are 20-45 since the All-Star break.

While Nick Markakis ended a 22-game homerless stretch with a solo shot vs. Cleveland, catcher Matt Wieters went 0 for 4.

That ended a six-game batting streak during which Wieters batted .520. Over his last 11 games, Wieters is hitting .429 (18 for 42) with three homers and 12 RBI. Ty Wigginton is 9 for 21 during a six-game batting streak.

Cleveand, which has lost 15 of its last 17 games, is 1-3 on a nine-game homestand. Cleveland is 3-2 vs. the O’s this year and is now 17-17 vs. the AL East.

O’s hitters 2009, batting with bases loaded:
Andino: 2-4, 3 rbi
Aubrey: 0-0
Fiorentino: 0-0
Izturis: 1-10, 2 rbi
Markakis: 5-20, HR, 11 rbi
Moeller: 0-1, 2 rbi
Montanez: 0-0, rbi
Mora: 5-10, HR, 12 rbi
Pie: 1-3, 2 rbi
Roberts: 6-15, 2HR, 23 rbi
Rodriguez: 0-0
Scott: 4-14, HR, 14 rbi
Turner: 0-2, rbi
Wieters: 3-9, 6 rbi
Wigginton: 2-7, 5 rbi

TEAM: .302 average, 5 Grand Slams, 115 rbi