masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles have been getting solid work by their starting pitchers for manager Buck Showalter.

Tonight’s outing topped them all.

Brad Bergesen pitched a complete-game two-hitter as the Orioles topped Cleveland 3-1. Bergesen, now 4-9, 5.84, threw just 102 pitches in recording his second career complete game. He pitched a five-hitter in topping Atlanta last June 14.

He missed out on throwing the Orioles first one-hitter since Daniel Cabrera had one on September 28, 2006 in New York vs. the…The Orioles have been getting solid work by their starting pitchers for manager Buck Showalter.

Tonight’s outing topped them all.

Brad Bergesen pitched a complete-game two-hitter as the Orioles topped Cleveland 3-1. Bergesen, now 4-9, 5.84, threw just 102 pitches in recording his second career complete game. He pitched a five-hitter in topping Atlanta last June 14.

He missed out on throwing the Orioles first one-hitter since Daniel Cabrera had one on September 28, 2006 in New York vs. the Yankees, when he gave up a single with two down in the ninth.

Bergesen was efficient with his pitches from the start and had just 30 pitches through three innings, 74 through seven and 82 entering the ninth.

Jim Hunter talks with Buck Showalter after the Birds’ 3-1 victory over the Indians

Bergesen entered tonight off back-to-back solid outings where he had allowed just 3 ER over his past 14 innings. But he was winless, 0-7, over his past 12 starts until tonight.

O’s starters have now recorded eight quality starts over the last nine games, pitching to an ERA of 2.30 in that stretch.

Brian Roberts went 3 for 4 with a solo homer that gave the Orioles a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth. Luke Scott plated a run with an RBI groundout in the first and Cesar Izturis added an RBI single in the fourth.

Josh Bell, who entered in a 3 for 29 drought, went three for four with three singles.

The O’s improved to 8-1 since Showalter took over and are now 40-74 on the season.

Here are more notes on the Birds’ latest win;
*Bergesen is now 1-0, 1.57 over his last three starts. In 23 innings, he has allowed 12 hits and 4 ER along with four walks and 14 strikeouts. He has lowered his ERA from 6.95 to 5.84 over the stretch.

*O’s starting pitchers have allowed one earned run in six of the last eight games. They have pitched at least six innings in nine consecutive games.

*The O’s pitchers have issued two walks or less in 11 straight games with just 13 walks total in that time.

*This was the fewest hits an Indians team had vs. an O’s starter at home since Tom Phoebus two-hit the Tribe in a 13-1 win in Cleveland on April 9, 1970.

*By taking the first two games vs. the Tribe, the Orioles are now 3-0 in series with Buck Showalter as skipper. They were 4-28-2 before he took over.

*Josh Bell went 3 for 4 and it was his first career three-hit game. He had been 3 for 29 over his previous nine games. Ty Wigginton had one hit and is 12 for 36 with one homer and 6 RBI during an eight-game batting streak.

*Brian Roberts homered and had his first three-hit game of the season. Roberts is 7 for 16 with two homers and 3 RBI in a four-game hitting streak.

*Cesar Izturis had an RBI single and now has driven in a run in back-to-back games for the first time all year.

*Nick Markakis went without a double on the night and is at 199 for his career heading into Thursday’s series finale.

*The Orioles were 18-46 all-time at Cleveland’s Progressive Field until winning the last two contests.