Brad Bergesen must hope for a no-decision on a day when he gutted out 5 1/3 innings and clearly lacked his quality stuff. Bergesen is charged with five runs and nine hits, with three walks and seven strikeouts. He left with the score tied, 4-4, but Jason Berken walked Evan Longoria with the bases loaded to force in a run. Bergesen threw 104 pitches, 65 for strikes. Not the most economical start of his career. In his last five starts, Bergesen has surrendered 21 runs and 40 hits in 29...

Ty Wigginton has homered in two straight games, his two-run shot today in the fourth inning reducing Tampa Bay's lead to 4-2. Wigginton has passed Adam Jones for the team lead in home runs with 16. Are the Texas Rangers paying attention? Any other teams? He's heating up again at the right time. Jones followed with a single. He's hit safely in 31 of his last 39 games. Jake Fox doubled to score Jones. The Rays' lead is down to 4-3. Don't grow too attached to Troy Patton. Interim...

This did not add up to a winning combination for the Orioles. A struggling starting pitcher, Brad Bergesen, vs. a good team a little ticked off about blowing a lead last night. And Tampa comes out with a 4-0 lead in the third vs. the O's and Bergesen. Evan Longoria has already homered and doubled. He is 12 for 35 vs. the O's this year with three homers and 11 RBI. In winning last night, the O's became the first team this year to trail in the ninth inning and in extra innings, but...

Carl Crawford isn't in the lineup, and he isn't changing his opinion of protective cups. Crawford still refuses to use one, saying they pinch and are too restrictive. I'm not a risk-taker. If I suffered the same injury, I'd show up at the ballpark the next day wearing a hubcap and a bungee cord. Brad Bergesen is laboring. Evan Longoria homered in the first inning, and the Rays tacked on two more runs in the second on Matt Joyce's double, singles by Willy Aybar and Reid Brignac, and Ben...

Fresh off his 22nd birthday, Nationals right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg gets the call tonight against the Reds Bronson Arroyo. With the win last Friday night in Miami, Strasburg is now the last Nats starter to post a win. He has won his last two decisions for Washington. It seems he has been counted on to stop losing streaks for the Nats in almost every outing this season. Strasburg has been "lights on" at night for the Nats this season. According to STATS, Inc. he is in the...

INF Josh Bell optioned to Tides; RHP Jim Johnson transferred to 60-day disabled list The Orioles announced a series of roster moves prior to today's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. LHP Michael Gonzalez has been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list, LHP Troy Patton has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and INF Josh Bell has been optioned to the Tides. In addition, to make room for Gonzalez on the 40-man roster, RHP Jim Johnson has been transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the...

Josh Bell had to figure it could come to this. Today he was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk. As he packed his bag to head out of Camden Yards, he was nice enough to take a few minutes to reflect on his first few days at the big league level. "Just being here, I don't take it for granted at all. I enjoyed being at this level and definitely it teaches you stuff even when you are not playing. "Whatever they need, I'm ready to do. Even when I wasn't playing it was beneficial to me to...

Michael Gonzalez understands that he won't regain his closer duties immediately upon getting dressed for today's game. He'll have to earn it. "Whatever they want to do, that's fine," he said. "My goal was to get back up in the big leagues. That's definitely where I needed to be. I think everything's going to even itself out once I'm up here and showing them I'm healthy. It's just going out and showing them I'm healthy. You can't go out and say much from their standpoint when they...

Just to review: Josh Bell has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, Troy Patton has been recalled and Michael Gonzalez has been activated. The Orioles made room for Gonzalez on the 40-man roster by transferring reliever Jim Johnson to the 60-day disabled list. For the Orioles: Corey Patterson LF Miguel Tejada 3B Nick Markakis RF Luke Scott DH Ty Wigginton 1B Adam Jones CF Jake Fox C Julio Lugo 2B Cesar Izturis SS Brad Bergesen RHP

Troy Patton is using Chris Tillman's locker, which is a sure sign that the Orioles recalled him from Triple-A Norfolk last night. Patton is 6-9 with a 4.91 ERA in 18 starts with the Tides. He gave up five earned runs (seven total) and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings in his last start. Patton is insurance for the next few days. His next scheduled start was today, so he's available to pitch out of the bullpen. It appears that Josh Bell has been optioned, though we're waiting for official...