masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgJason Berken retired six of the seven batters he faced, including a strikeout. He allowed a two-out single to Ryan Doumit in the third.

Mark Hendrickson replaced him in the fifth with the Orioles leading, 3-2.

Berken hasn’t surrendered a run in three appearances covering four innings this spring.

Brad Bergesen’s shoulder felt good tonight. No problem with the shin, either. He just couldn’t throw enough strikes and had difficulty slowing his tempo.

“I would have liked to have been a…Jason Berken retired six of the seven batters he faced, including a strikeout. He allowed a two-out single to Ryan Doumit in the third.

Mark Hendrickson replaced him in the fifth with the Orioles leading, 3-2.

Berken hasn’t surrendered a run in three appearances covering four innings this spring.

Brad Bergesen’s shoulder felt good tonight. No problem with the shin, either. He just couldn’t throw enough strikes and had difficulty slowing his tempo.

“I would have liked to have been a little better than that in the second inning, but getting out there and being the first time facing hitters in a live situation like that since July 30, that part was great, getting back out there. But just from a pitching standpoint, I worked behind too many guys. But I guess in some ways that’s kind of expected at this point,” he said.

“I felt like I was rushing myself. I was getting a little too quick and couldn’t slow it down, which I’m normally able to do when I feel myself getting that way. In that second inning, I just felt myself getting quicker and quicker, so that part I need to work on.”

Some starters work on pitches no matter the count. Bergesen must be different.

“I didn’t get in enough counts to be able to throw my slider,” he said. “The only slider I did throw was the one that I hung (to Garrett Jones) in the first inning. I threw four changeups. Two of them were good and two of them were bad.”

Bergesen said he’ll start working every fifth day and will throw a few bullpens before his next outing as part of a normal routine.