O's drop sixth in a row, fall 4-2 to Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Rays scored two unearned runs in the seventh inning to gain a two-run lead and they went on to the 4-2 win over the Orioles Monday night. The Rays reduced their magic number to clinch the AL East to five and it was further reduced to four when Boston lost vs. Cleveland.
A Brian Roberts' error and three Rocky Cherry walks helped the Rays rally in the seventh.
The Rays won with just three hits and the O's were held to six.
Tampa improves to 12-3 this season with 9 straight wins vs. the Orioles. The Rays are 50-23 games in games decided by two runs or less.
The Orioles have lost six in a row falling 21 games under .500. The Birds have been held to two runs or less in 11 of their past 18 games.
The Rays scored twice in the 7th to take a 4-2 lead. They used three walks, a Roberts error and Jason Bartlett's RBI double to get both runs.
In the O's fifth they loaded the bases with no outs on an error and two singles. Then Juan Castro drew a bases-loaded walk and Roberts hit a sac fly to right to tie the game, 2-2.
The game's first hit for either team was Akinori Iwamura's two-run single to right in the 5th that gave Tampa a 2-0 lead. With two outs in the frame and no one on, O's starter Brian Bass walked three straight hitters. Dave Trembley then summoned Randor Bierd from the pen and Iwamura's hit put Tampa ahead.
TB 4-3-1
Balt 2-6-1
Postgame Notes
Tampa is now 50-23 in games decided by two runs or less while the Orioles are 28-45.....The O's struggling offense has produced a total of 9 runs the last five games and the O's have scored two or fewer runs in 5 of the last 7 and 11 of the last 18 games.
O's pitching tied a season-best pitching a combined five-pitcher, three-hitter.....It ties Daniel Cabrera's three-hitter May 8th at Kansas City.
The O's have lost six in a row by a total of ten runs.......Five of the losses have been by two runs or less........The O's have lost 18 of 22 and 25 of their last 31 games falling 21 games under .500.
Oscar Salazar went 1-4 extending his batting streak to eight games.....He is hitting .370 during his streak......Brian Roberts has hit in ten of his last 12 games at a .333 pace....Juan Castro's RBI in the 5th was his first in 14 games........Ramon Hernandez went 2-4, snapping a 3-22 drought........The O's team average is just .235 in September and they are scoring 3.6 runs per game this month.
Tampa has won 9 in a row and 17 of the last 21 games with the Orioles, but still trail the Birds in the all-time series, 87-96......Carlos Pena picked up his 100th RBI joining Aubrey Huff and Fred McGriff as Rays to post two 100-RBI seasons....Adam Jones batted third for the first time this season, but went 0-4.
The Skipper was Agitated
Dave Trembley on Oscar Salazar getting doubled off the bases
"On a 3-2 count and you're running and there's a fly ball, don't you stop. That's a total mental breakdown on his part. Total. To be honest, that's embarrassing to me and the club and the people watching the game. I'm not burying him, but that's not right."
Dave Trembley on Pulling Brian Bass with a no-hitter
"He was ahead 6-0 the previous game he pitched. He walked three in a row, he was done, he was out of gas. Kranitz came back to the bench and said 'he's done.' He seems like more a two or three-inning guy. People that think he should have stayed in because he has a no-hitter and he just walked the ballpark, I don't buy that. The guy was done, look at his legs, his face, his arm angle, he was done, cooked."
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog From Camden Yards
Price is Out
David Price will not get a win or loss tonight but I'm sure years from now will remember that his first-ever Major League start took place at Camden Yards.
Price's line: 5 1/3IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 3K.....88 pitches.
Tampa's Best Hitters vs. O's in 2008 (before tonight)
Carlos Pena - .333-5-23 (16-48)
BJ Upton - .451-2-16 (23-51)
Dioner Navarro - .355-0-5 (11-31)
Rocco Baldelli - .833-0-0 (5-6)
Bass Hooked
Contraversial call by O's skipper Dave Trembley to replace Brian Bass in the fifth. After getting the first two hitters out in that frame, he walked the bases loaded. He was getting behind hitters and laboring - yet had not given up a hit to that point. Still, the skipper went to Randor Bierd. That move didn't look so good when Bierd, on a 1-2 pitch, gave up a two-run single to Iwamura. Bass threw 73 pitches the same as he had in his last start. No way he was going nine innings, but the move didn't work. Why not see if Bass could get out of the jam. He probably had a few more pitches in him.
Bass' line: 4 2/3 IP, 0H, 2R-ER, 4BB, 5K.....73 pitches
Trying to Upstage the Kid
The O's Brian Bass has matched the touted prospect David Price with four shutout and no-hit innings so far. Bass has thrown 55 pitches, Price 51. Bass has fanned five and Price one. Price is hitting mid 90's on the Camden Yards gun, but Bass is just as effective.
Don't Forget Us
In the Rays media notes tonight it reads that no team has won the AL East other than Boston or New York since Toronto in 1993. That is not correct, of course. Not only did the Orioles win the AL East with a 98-64 record in 1997, but they went wire to wire that year. They were in first place every day of that season.
More on David Price
He is making his first Major League start tonight. In less than four months this year he made the leap from Class-A ball to the Majors. He is Tampa's 8th starter used this year, and all have been 26 or younger. He made his first start this year May 22nd after dealing with a strained left elbow. He began his pro career with 20 consecutive scoreless innings for Vero Beach in the Florida State League. Baseball America rated him the number one pitching prospect in the FSL this year.
He signed last year on August 15th but did not pitch in any games. In his senior year at Vanderbilt, in 2007, he went 11-1, 2.63 with 194 strikeouts in 133 innings. He was drafted by the Dodgers in round 19 in June 2004, but opted instead for college at Vandy.
It's Game Time
The O's final homestand of the season is underway. Tampa's magic number to clinch AL East is six. O's have lost 8 in a row to Tampa. Tonight's first pitch was at 7:06pm and it's 77 degrees. Check back here during the game for the latest news and notes live from the Yard from me and my Masnsports.com teammate, Roch Kubatko.
Trembley's Talk
The skipper and the club still has not ruled out Jeremy Guthrie pitching again this year, although it would not happen until the final series this weekend. Guthrie will pitch a simulated game here on Wednesday.
"Guthrie threw a sideline today, it was much better than the one he threw at Yankee Stadium. We'll go to a simulated game on Wednesday then we'll see how he does after that. I can't get ahead of myself with any of these guys, I've got to take it one step at a time. If he does well in his simulated game, he'll pitch (this weekend)."
Trembley said Alfredo Simon was chosen to start game two of Tuesday's twin bill because he's a fresh arm and has started before this year. That was in the Mexican League.
"He's gotta be something special if he was their number one," Trembley said when asked if he was looking forward to the club facing David Price tonight. "Like any pitcher you've got to make him throw it over the plate, don't expand the zone. The guy's got good stuff."
Trembley was asked if he has more concerns about Melvin Mora, who is still bothered by a hamstring injury and not starting tonight.
"I need to talk with Melvin later. His leg is not good enough for him to play today."
Starting Lineups
Rays
2B Akinori Iwamura
CF BJ Upton
1B Carlos Pena
3B Evan Longoria
DH Cliff Floyd
C Dioner Navarro
RF Gabe Gross
LF Eric Hinske
SS Jason Bartlett
P David Price
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones
3B Aubrey Huff
1B Oscar Salazar
DH Luke Scott
C Ramon Hernandez
LF Lou Montanez
SS Juan Castro
P Brian Bass
Game Preview
Tampa Bay (92-62) at Orioles (67-87)
Now that they have wrapped up a playoff berth, the Tampa Bay Rays now have set their sights on clinching an AL East title. The next team in their way is the Orioles.
The clubs begin a four-game, three-day series tonight at Camden Yards. It begins the O's final homestand of this season.
Tampa clinched its first-ever playoff berth on Saturday and has a magic number of six to win the East. The Rays lead Boston by 1 ½ games atop the division. The last club other than Boston or New York to win the AL East was the Orioles in 1997.
The Birds come home after a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium. Last night's 7-3 loss completed the sweep as the Orioles scored just five runs in the three games with a team average of .214.
Tampa, which won just 66 games last season, is looking to become the 11th Major League team to finish in last place one season and in first place the next. Three teams in the National League did it in 2007 - the Cubs, Diamondbacks and Rockies.
Tonight the Rays begin an 8-game road trip with four each in Baltimore and Detroit. The Rays ended their home season with a mark of 57-24. It's the most home wins in the Majors since the Yankees went 62-19 in 1998.
Tampa is 12-3 with 8 wins in a row this season vs. the Orioles.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Brian Bass (0-0, 6.97, with O's) tonight makes his 48th appearance of the season and the third start of his Major League career. Bass was acquired in a deal with the Twins for a player to be named later or cash. Bass was 3-4, 4.87 this season with the Twins in 44 games.
He made his O's debut Friday September 5th vs. Oakland and gave up two runs in 1 2/3 innings. He has made two starts since, pitching to an ERA of 6.23 in those outings vs. Cleveland and Toronto.
Bass allows an average of .324 vs. right-handed hitters and .268 vs. lefties. In 26 home games this season, he is 2-2, 2.84.
The 26-year-old righty spent most of this season in the Majors but made two late August starts at Triple-A Rochester. In 182 career Minor League games, Bass made 151 starts.
Bass was drafted in round six by Kansas City in 2000 and pitched in the Royals' organization from 2000-2006. Before last season he signed with Minnesota as a Minor League free agent.
Bass has pitched just once in his career vs. Tampa and gave up one hit and no runs in just 1/3 of an inning vs. the Rays.
LHP David Price (0-0, 3.00) the first player taken in the 2007 draft, began this season in Class-A ball and ends the year in the Major Leagues.
After making two relief appearances for Tampa, tonight will be his first-ever big league start. In 19 Minor League starts for three teams this year, Price was 12-1, 2.30 and fanned 109 in 109 2/3 innings.
Price in the Minors, 2008
Class A Vero Beach: 4-0, 1.82, six starts
Class AA Montgomery: 7-0, 1.89, nine starts
Class AAA Durham: 1-1, 4.50, four starts
Last Sunday, Price made his Major League debut in Yankee Stadium. In relief he pitched 5 1/3, allowing two runs on three hits. Thursday vs. Minnesota he pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing one hit and no runs.
The 6-6 Price, who just turned 23, has a high to mid-90's fastball. He was recently named this season's Minor League Player of the Year by USA Today. His season began later than expected this year, in May, due to a sore elbow.
He has never faced the Orioles.
The Change in the Offense
August 2008: .307 team average, 6.3 runs per game, 31 homers
September 2008: .238 team average, 3.7 runs per game, 15 homers
O's Hitters, 2008 vs. Tampa:
Castro: 1-10/0/1
Cintron: 2-8/0/0
Hernandez: 10-31/1/8
Huff: 16-55/4/11
Jones: 6-32/1/4
Markakis: 12-39/2/5
Millar: 7-49/0/4
Montanez: 2-8/0/0
Mora: 5-44/0/4
Quiroz: 3-14/0/1
Payton: 6-32/1/3
Roberts: 17-48/1/4
Salazar: 1-3/0/1
Scott: 7-45/1/7
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