The Orioles ended this homestand with two wins in seven games vs. Oakland and Los Angeles. They are now 30-31 at home on the year and 48-70 overall. Nick Markakis went 2 for 4 with a double, homer and two RBI. He now has 84 RBI. Markakis extended his current hitting streak to ten games. During the streak, he is batting .378 (17 for 45) with two homers and 8 RBI. For Markakis, 21 of his last 37 hits have gone for extra bases. He has now reached base in 37 consecutive games - the longest...

Game Preview Orioles (48-70) at Tampa Bay (63-54) After winning just two of seven games on a homestand that ended with Monday's loss to the Angels, the Orioles begin a nine-game road trip tonight at Tampa Bay. After three games with the Rays, the road trip takes to the Orioles on to Chicago and Minnesota. The O's are just 18-39 on the road this season and are just 3-18 on the road vs. the AL East. Series Pitching Matchups; Mon, 7:08p - Jason Berken (2-10, 6.63) v. David Price (5-5,...

RHP Jason Berken (2-10, 6.63) tonight makes his 16th Major League start of the year, his 7th on the road and the 1st of his career vs. Tampa Bay. Two starts ago, Berken gave up three runs in six innings vs. Toronto to get his second victory. In his last start, Wednesday vs. Oakland, he took his 10th loss. Berken gave up eight hits and four runs over five innings. In six starts since the All-Star game, he is 1-4, 7.85. Right-handed hitters hit .308 off Berken while lefties bat .319. He...

The Tampa Bay Rays hit three homers and beat the Orioles 5-4 Tuesday night. For the Birds, it was game one of a nine-game road trip. Gabe Gross hit a two-run shot in the 3rd and Pat Burrell and B.J. Upton hit solo shots in the 6th as the Rays won their third in a row. O's pitchers have allowed nine homers over the last three games. Jason Berken gave up all three homers and took the loss, falling to 2-11, 6.72. Berken gave up five runs and 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings. Matt Wieters hit a...

The O's began their nine-game road trip with a one-run loss at Tampa. The Birds are now 12-16 in one-run games and have lost seven of their last eight one-run decisions. Matt with a longball - Matt Wieters two-run homer in the 8th was his 4th of the season. He has hit two solo shots and a pair of two-run homers. It was his first homer since July 5th, Wieters had gone 28 games without a longball. Gary and Buck talk with Dave Trembley after the O's 5-4 loss to the Rays Nick Markakis...

Game Preview Orioles (48-71) at Tampa Bay (64-54) Orioles pitchers have been giving up the longball a lot in recent games and Tampa Bay hit three homers to beat the Orioles Tuesday night, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game series. Tonight, in game two of this series at 7:08 p.m. at Tropicana Field, Chris Tillman (1-0, 4.88) pitches for the Orioles vs. Jeff Niemann (10-5, 3.86). O's pitchers have given up nine homers the last three games and 34 in the last 21 games. The Orioles have...

RHP Chris Tillman (1-0, 4.88) tonight makes his 5th Major League start of this season, his 3rd on the road and the 1st of his career vs. Tampa. Tillman's first two starts: 6.75 ERA (8ER in 10 2/3IP) Tillman's last two starts: 3.38 ERA (5ER in 13 1/3IP) Right-handed batters are hitting .327 off Tillman while lefties are batting just .214. The O's are 2-2 in his four starts. Tillman has allowed nine of his 13 runs in the first two innings of his starts. In two road starts, he is 0-0,...

Chris Tillman showed some big-time poise in the bottom of the first inning tonight. Meanwhile, home plate umpire Mark Wegner is sure missing a good game, at least missing some good Tillman pitches. I give the 21-year-old right hander immense credit for keeping his poise while Wegner was missing pitches and forcing Tillman to work to the max to get out of a bases-loaded jam. But he was forced to throw 31 pitches. Will that catch up to him in the second inning tonight? Maybe the 5th or...

Chris Tillman gave up just three runs, all on solo homers, in six innings plus tonight at Tampa. He leaves trailing 3-0 and might absorb his first Major League loss. But he pitched very well in this game and maybe had his best curveball of any of his five O's outings. Tillman tonight: 6IP, 7H, 3R-ER, 2B, 3K.....101 pitches. I thought he might not come out for the seventh inning, but I kind of liked the fact that he did, despite throwing 100 pitches through six. Dave Trembley showed...

Chris Tillman allowed three solo homers and took his first Major League loss as Tampa Bay beat the Birds 3-1 Wednesday night to take the first two games of this series. Pat Burrell homered in the 4th, Ben Zobrist in the 6th and B.J. Upton took Tillman deep leading off the 7th. Tillman, now 1-1, 4.80, gave up seven hits and three runs over six innings. He threw 101 pitches and his ERA over his last three starts is 3.72. Jim and Buck interview Dave Trembley after the O's 3-1 loss to the...