BRADENTON, Fla. - Ryan Adams hit his second spring training home run, and it went a mile. He cleared the palm trees in right field - yes, the opposite field - against Pirates reliever Joel Hanrahan in the fifth inning to give the Orioles a 5-4 lead.
Adams' two-run shot followed a walk to Nolan Reimold, Brandon Snyder's RBI double and Craig Tatum's RBI single. Snyder is 2-for-2 with a walk. Tatum is 2-for-2.
Adam Jones doubled later in the inning, making him 2-for-3. Nolan Reimold has walked twice.
J.J. Hardy's two-run single in the sixth increased their lead to 7-4. He also has two hits.
Update: Tatum is making a statement tonight: The Pirates aren't very good. Or maybe it's another statement. He's 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a steal of home. His double in the seventh increased the lead to 9-4.
Adams followed with a two-run single, giving him four RBIs tonight. Orioles 11, Pirates 4.
Reimold has three walks. Joe Mahoney reached on an error because he ran hard to first on what looked like a routine ground ball. Props to him.
Brad Bergesen met with reporters in the visiting clubhouse after allowing four runs (three earned) and six hits in 2 2/3 innings.
"I sucked," he said. "Any other questions?"
Well, just a few.
"Geez, I mean, I made good pitches and a couple of bloop hits, there were some jam shots and when I got into trouble, I started flying open and the ball flattened out. That's when they were able to hit those ones down the first base line and make some good, clean contact," Bergesen said.
"I think it's a small adjustment. I just have to make it. Just a little more deception. Today was just bad. When I got into trouble, I didn't make pitches. Lesson learned. I know what I need to work on now."
Bergesen needs to slow down, something that Tatum and pitching coach Mark Connor reminded him about as trouble mounted.
"I've always done that," Bergesen said about rushing his delivery. "That's just my M.O. When I start getting into trouble, I start rushing myself and getting a little too quick, instead of knowing when to slow myself down and take a breather and kind of try to control the game a little more.
"It's one of those things, I felt good. I made my pitches. Like I was saying earlier, some jam shots and some seeing-eye singles, and then all of a sudden, getting into those spots and start flying open. That's when I'd leave the ball up and it flattens out. That's when I didn't feel good. That's when I wasn't making my pitches."
Bergesen said it's "way too early" to be concerned.
"Obviously, I'm a competitor. I never like going out there and having an outing like that. But at the same time, it's early, I'm still working on things," he said.
"Outings like this are unacceptable, but I'm not getting down on myself or turning into a mental head case by any means. I just know what I need to work on."
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