Post-game notes: O's fall in the 9th at Oakland

It happened again: Apparently, any thought that it could not get any worse for the Orioles, was just not correct. They gave up two runs in the last of the 9th at Oakland Saturday afternoon to lose 4-3 to the A's. The Orioles, who lost four times all last year when leading after eight innings, have now lost three times this year when leading after eight. So, the Birds are 1-11 on the season with nine losses in row. They are 0-3 on this ten-game road trip. They are 1-4 in one-run games and 1-6 in games decided by two runs or less. O's record when leading after 8: 2009: 55-4 2010: 1-3 Jim Johnson, looking for his 12th career save, gave up two hits and two wild pitches in the last of the 9th. Ryan Sweeney came up with a two-run single with one out and the bases loaded in the 9th for Oakland. In the 9th, Johnson threw 19 pitches, just nine strikes. The Orioles have now allowed nine runs in the 9th on the year. They have been outscored 24-7 on the season from the 8th inning on. He got a clutch hit: Garrett Atkins, who went 2 for 4, came up with a bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single in the 6th to tie the game, 2-2. The O's were just 1 for 41 on the year batting with runners in scoring position and two out to that point. Atkins is 4 for 10 over his last three games. Miguel Tejada went 3 for 3 with three singles, but left the game with a leg injury in the 6th. He got injured running to first base. For starters: Starter Jeremy Guthrie gave up just one earned run over 6 2/3, but did not factor in the decision. He lowered his ERA to 3.15. He threw 99 pitches. Guthrie, who led the AL in allowing 35 homers last year, has given up just one in 2010 in 20 innings. Guthrie has made three quality starts on the year so far. O's starters have now recorded six quality starts on the season and have worked to an ERA of 4.52. With the victory Oakland takes the all-time series lead over the Orioles, 235 to 234. The Birds have lost nine in a row at Oakland and are just 28-68 vs. the A's since the beginning of the 1999 season. Oakland has now won 13 of its last 14 games vs. the O's. Oakland improved to 9-4 on the year. The A's improved to 6-1 in home games. RISP: After going 0 for 15 over the last three games with runners in scoring position, they went 1 for 9 today. They are 3 for 47 (.064) the last eight games with RISP and now are 11 for 87 (.126) on the year in that stat. Today, Atkins two-run single in the 6th snapped the O's 1 for 41 run when batting with runners in scoring position and two outs. The O's have now had zero or just one hit with RISP in eight consecutive games. Adam Jones batting leadoff went 1 for 5. Since beginning the year going 4 for 9, he is 8 for 43. Nick Markakis was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts snapping his 6 for 16 run. Matt Wieters went 1 for 5 and is 1 for 16 over his last four games. He is batting .172 (5 for 29) since going 6 for 12 in the opening series vs. Tampa. Luke Scott went hitless, 0 for 4, for the second game in a row, including going 0 for 3 with RISP. Sunday afternoon at 4:07, in a matchup of lefties, Brian Matusz (1-0, 4.38) makes his third start for the Orioles after pitching twice vs. Tampa. Brett Anderson (1-0, 0.00) makes his third start for Oakland. He has pitched 12 shutout innings over his first two starts. In his last 19 starts, dating to last June, Anderson is 9-4, 2.66. He has never faced the Orioles. In the minors Saturday, Bowie won 3-2 at Akron as Brandon Waring hit a two-run homer and knocked in all three runs. At 9-1, the Baysox have the best record in all of Double-A baseball and are off to the best start in the 18-year Baysox history. The Baysox have won eight in a row. Lefty Zach Britton (1-0, 2.61) pitches Sunday afternoon at Akron.