RHP Brad Bergesen (6-4, 3.51) tonight makes his 18th start of this season, his 8th on the road and his 2nd start of 2009 vs. Boston.
As well as he has pitched this year, Bergesen tonight is looking for his first career road win.
Bergesen, 2009:
Home: 6-1, 2.82 and team is 8-2
Road: 0-3, 4.57 and team is 1-6
Bergesen took the loss over the weekend vs. the White Sox when he allowed six straight hits in the 5th inning following an error. On the night he gave up 10 hits and four runs (two...
It's looking like, for now, Jason Berken and Rich Hill will stay in the O's rotation.
Will that be for just one more turn through or more, we don't know.
Such was reported in a Baltimore Sun story earlier tonight. Moments ago on the MASN telecast, O's president Andy MacPhail was asked about Chris Tillman.
"We haven't finalized anything yet," MacPhail said. "Most of the pitchers Tillman was with last year at Bowie are here like Berken, Bergesen and Hernandez. We should see Tillman...
The bottom four batters in the Red Sox lineup combined to drive in all three runs tonight as Boston beat the Orioles 3-1, to snap a five-game losing streak.
The O's loaded the bases with one out in the ninth vs. Jon Papelbon. But he fanned Luke Scott for the second out and struck out Melvin Mora on a 3-2 pitch to record his 25th save.
Jason Varitek had an RBI single and Jed Lowrie a sac fly as Boston took a 2-1 lead in the 4th. An inning later, an RBI groundout by J.D. Drew made it a 3-1...
Since the O's scored 21 runs on 37 hits in the three-game series at Chicago to start this trip, the O's have struggled on offense. In the last four games of this trip, they have scored just 10 runs on 31 hits with only seven extra-base hits.
The O's were 0 for 6 tonight with runners in scoring position and are 3 for 29 over the last four games with RISP.
The O's loaded the bases in the 9th vs. Jonathan Papelbon, but he fanned Luke Scott and Melvin Mora to end the game. Papelbon is now...
Game Preview
Orioles (41-54) at Boston (56-39)
For the Orioles lately it's been a story of close but no cigar or wins. They have a similar story riding vs. Boston.
The O's have lost their last four games on their current road trip by 7 total runs.
Of the O's seven losses vs. Boston this year, five have come by two runs or less.
The O's latest frustration came during Friday's 3-1 loss at Boston. They loaded the bases with one out in the 9th vs. Jonathan Papelbon, but he fanned Luke...
RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7-8, 5.12) tonight will make his 20th start of this season, his 10th on the road and the 9th of his career vs. Boston.
Guthrie is coming off one of his best starts of this year. He got the win last Sunday at Chicago, giving up just three hits and two runs over eight innings. He allowed two solo homers and threw 108 pitches.
The O's are 8-11 when Guthrie starts, but have won four of the last five.
In three July starts, he is 1-1, 5.19. In nine road starts, Guthrie is...
Orioles director of international scouting, John Stockstill, is back from the Dominican Republic tonight. In recent days he has met with the representatives for Dominican shortstop Miguel Angel Sano.
"We certainly expressed an interest in him becoming a Baltimore Oriole," Stockstill said.
During a week or so in the country, Stockstill met Sano's representatives and officials from Major League baseball.
Stockstill would not comment when asked if the O's have begun contract negotiations...
David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Boston was on its way to a 7-2 win over the Orioles Saturday night. The Sox have taken the first two games of this series.
The Orioles, who are 1-8 this year vs. Boston, have lost 11 in a row at Fenway Park and are 1-16 on the road this season vs. AL East clubs.
Jacoby Ellsbury added a pair of RBI doubles for Boston, which improved the Majors best record at home to 33-14.
The O's have now lost five in a row, scoring a total of 12...
Nolan Reimold went 2 for 3 with a double and run scored in Saturday's loss. Reimold is 5 for 6 in this series with two doubles, two runs and two walks. He has increased his average from .259 to .277 the last two days.
David Ortiz started the Boston scoring with a three-run homer in the first inning. His 13th of the year came on a 1-0 pitch from Jeremy Guthrie.
It was his 25th career homer vs. Baltimore pitching. He has homered more vs. only three teams. He has 34 homers vs. Tampa, his...
Game Preview
Orioles (41-55) at Boston (57-39)
The road trip that has featured just one win and dropped the Orioles 14 games under the .500 mark comes to an end this afternoon. Boston can sweep three straight from the O's with a win today at 1:35 p.m.
David Hernandez (2-2, 3.55) will pitch for Baltimore vs. 42-year-old right-hander John Smoltz (1-3, 6.31)
The Orioles win last Sunday at Chicago was their only win so far on this trip. They are 1-7 on the trip and 15-34 on the road this...
RHP David Hernandez (2-2, 3.55) today makes his 7th start of this season, his 5th on the road and the 1st of his career vs. Boston.
Hernandez allowed just one run over six innings but did not get a decision last Monday at New York. He gave up just three hits, throwing 103 pitches.
Over his last three starts, Hernandez is 1-0, 2.89 (6ER in 18 2/3IP).
Right-handed batters are hitting .286 vs. Hernandez while lefties bat .257. He has allowed an average of just .158 when pitching with runners...
David Hernandez picked up his third win and Nick Markakis went 2 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI as the Orioles beat Boston 6-2 Sunday to salvage the final game of the series.
Dave Trembley talks with Buck Martinez after the O's 6-2 win
With the win, the Orioles ended a five-game losing streak and 11-game losing streak at Boston. They end their road trip with a 2-7 record.
Hernandez followed up an excellent outing in New York with another at Fenway Park. Over seven innings he gave up just...
O's Player of the Game - Pitcher David Hernandez. He followed up an excellent outing at Yankee Stadium with one today at Fenway Park.
This afternoon he pitched a career-high seven innings and allowed just five hits with one run. He did not walk a batter and fanned two.
In the two starts at New York and Boston he gave up two runs and eight hits over 13 innings for an ERA of 1.38.
Over his last four starts, Hernandez is 2-0, 2.45. Those four starts all came on the road at Los Angeles,...
On May 19th, Brad Bergesen took the mound at Yankee Stadium. His record was 1-1 and his ERA 5.27.
For most of the night, Bergesen dueled with CC Sabathia pitch for pitch. When he left in the 7th he was trailing by just 2-1. Two of his inherited runners would score and his final line showed four runs allowed over 6 1/3 and his ERA increased to 5.35.
But that may have been Bergesen's breakout game. He showed he could go pitch for pitch with the Yankees' ace in New York.
Since that night,...
Game Preview
Kansas City (38-59) at Orioles (42-55)
After completing a grueling 2-7 road trip with a win on Sunday, the Orioles return home to Camden Yards. Tonight the Birds begin a seven-game homestand with the start of a four-game series vs. Kansas City.
Tonight's pitching matchup features Rich Hill (3-3, 7.64) pitching for Baltimore vs. former Oriole lefty Bruce Chen (0-5, 6.58).
The O's ended their road trip with Sunday's 6-2 win at Boston. That snapped Baltimore's five-game...
He now has the best ERA among all O's starters.
And in the last week, David Hernandez pitched back-to-back games at New York and Boston, giving up just two runs and eight hits over 13 innings.
"It's a real positive to go into Boston and New York and get two quality starts. It will help me in future starts. You know you can compete," Hernandez said.
What's been the key to his recent outings?
"For me it was my fastball command. I was able to command it yesterday and in New York. I...
While the Orioles were just 2-7 on the last road trip, within those nine games, mostly losses, they saw some solid performances from young players.
For instance, Nolan Reimold went 7 for 10 in the Boston series and hit .429 on the trip. David Hernandez gave up just two runs in back-to-back starts at New York and Boston. Matt Wieters has quietly put some hits together and now has a four-game hit streak.
I asked Dave Trembley today how does he put all that in perspective. The team suffers...
LHP Rich Hill (3-3, 7.64) tonight will make his 13th start of this season, his 5th at home and his 2nd this year vs. Kansas City.
Over his last five starts, Hill has pitched to an ERA of 10.64 (26ER in 22IP).
Hill took the loss Tuesday at New York, giving up five runs and four walks over three innings. He threw 82 pitches.
Hill has recorded just three quality starts and has pitched more than six innings just three times.
Right-handed batters hit .301 vs. him and lefties hit .256.
Hill...
It's a thankless job, that of the long reliever.
Tonight O's fans should thank Brian Bass for restoring order to this game.
After Rich Hill left trailing 3-2 in the third, Bass came on and got out of that mess. He got Pena and Freel to strand two and keep the O's down one. They have since tied the game.
Bass tonight pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings of four-hit ball.
He had allowed 7ER in 8IP in July, but tonight he restored order to this game and the O's have a chance to win. If they...
Billy Butler had his first career five-hit game and added 3 RBI as Kansas City beat the Orioles 5-3 Monday night. It was game one of the series and a seven-game homestand.
Butler was 5 for 5 with three singles, two doubles and two runs.
The Royals broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh. Butler led off with a double, his fourth hit of the night. He was on third with two outs when Brayan Pena hit a slow roller to third. He beat it out for an RBI infield hit and the lead.
Dave Trembley...