ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It looks like the Orioles can turn in a quality start with Jake Fox behind the plate.
Just when you think you've got this game figured out...
Brad Bergesen shut out the Rays on four hits, retiring 20 of the last 22 batters he faced in a 6-0 victory.
The Rays didn't have a hit after Sam Fuld's single with one out in the third inning.
Jake Fox talks about his big 2-run HR and how he battled within that at-bat
"I think Brad showed what he's capable of tonight,"...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brad Bergesen escaped jams in the first three innings, retired 11 in a row and won his first game of the season, 6-0, over the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Bergesen retired 17 of 18 going into the bottom of the ninth. He walked leadoff hitter Ben Zobrist on four pitches, but retired the next three batters. He allowed four hits, walked one and struck out five. He threw 103 pitches, 68 for strikes.
The Orioles had lost the last nine games that Bergesen pitched, including a...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jake Fox has taken his share of heat, but he's catching a shutout and padding a lead today.
Fox is giving the signs to Brad Bergesen, who's blanking the Rays on four hits over six innings. And he gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead with a two-run homer in the sixth that drove Rays starter Wade Davis from the game.
Fox won a 10-pitch battle with Davis by launching his first home run since April 16 in Cleveland. It was a no-doubter.
Davis had allowed two homers in seven career...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brad Bergesen has held the Rays scoreless through three innings, though he's allowed four hits and a few loud outs.
Ben Zobrist doubled and Johnny Damon singled in the first, but Evan Longoria grounded into a 5-4-3 double play on the next pitch.
B.J. Upton doubled with one out in the second, but Casey Kotchman grounded out on a changeup and Reid Brignac flied to the warning track in center on another changeup.
Sam Fuld singled and stole second base with one out in the...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If second baseman Brian Roberts is going to bust out of his slump, he'll do it from atop the order.
No big surprise here. Roberts is the club's leadoff hitter and there aren't many options if manager Buck Showalter wants to lower him.
J.J. Hardy would be the likely replacement. Felix Pie has speed, but he doesn't play every day and he doesn't steal bases.
It's a moot point.
Showalter has dropped Mark Reynolds to ninth and he's willing to make other changes, but...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Mark Reynolds is batting ninth again today. Luke Scott returns to left field, and Jake Fox starts behind the plate.
For the Orioles:
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Derrek Lee 1B
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Luke Scott LF
Adam Jones CF
J.J. Hardy SS
Jake Fox C
Mark Reynolds 3B
Brad Bergesen RHP
For the Rays:
Fuld LF
Zobrist 2B
Damon DH
Longoria 3B
Joyce RF
Upton CF
Kotchman 1B
Brignac SS
Jaso C
Davis RHP
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have scored in just one of their last 23 innings - two runs total - dating back to the sixth inning of Wednesday's game against Seattle. They're batting .215 (17-for-79) with one extra-base hit and only four batters advancing beyond second base during that span.
The pitchers, meanwhile, have posted a 1.95 ERA in those 23 innings.
The rotation has recorded four straight quality starts, positing a 1.86 ERA.
Brian Roberts is in a 2-for-35 slump, or a...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles and Rays have a 4:10 p.m. start today, which means staying in bed a little longer and getting out of the ballpark a little earlier. It's a win-win situation.
I'm a huge fan of the late-afternoon games. Wish there were more of them on the schedule.
I won't suggest that jobs will be kept or lost based on today's outcome, but Brad Bergesen needs to steer away from the rocks and Jake Fox needs to guide him. Another crash won't do them any favors.
Matt...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have scored in one of their last 23 innings. Naturally, it didn't happen tonight with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound.
You should have it all memorized by now. The Orioles haven't scored in five of Guthrie's last seven starts while he's been in the game. They've totaled six runs in his last seven starts while he's been on the mound.
It's nothing personal. It's nothing they can control. It just keeps happening.
Jeremy Guthrie talks about his complete...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles center fielder Adam Jones described Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson as "a little different." It was the result that looked familiar.
Another pitcher flattened the Orioles' bats.
Hellickson went the distance tonight, shutting out the Orioles on four hits, walking one and striking out three.
Adam Jones talks about the difficulties the O's had hitting Jeremy Hellickson
"He threw everything - first-pitch strikes, curveball, changeup," Jones said. "He just...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles won last night despite being shut out for the first 11 innings and falling behind by a run in the 12th. They didn't score through nine innings tonight and weren't nearly as fortunate.
"We've got to figure it out. Just because we're facing good pitching...that's why they call it the major leagues. You've got to figure it out," said manager Buck Showalter.
Gary Thorne asks Buck Showalter about the O's tough 3-0 loss to the Rays
Jeremy Guthrie turned...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter ordered an intentional walk to Rays left fielder Matt Joyce with first base open and two outs in the sixth inning. Another left-handed hitter, Casey Kotchman, stood on deck, but Showalter didn't want the Guthrie-Joyce matchup in that situation.
Here's why it made sense: Joyce homered and singled tonight, making him 8-for-20 lifetime against Jeremy Guthrie. Joyce also led the American League in batting before tonight with a .358...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brian Roberts stepped to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs in the fifth and the Orioles trailing by two runs. He swung at the first pitch and flied to shallow center field.
Roberts is 0-for-3 tonight, making him 3-for-42 since May 1.
Mark Reynolds reached on an infield hit after almost striking out for the second time. Plate umpire Ron Kulpa ruled that Reynolds got a piece of the Jeremy Hellickson pitch, which catcher John Jaso couldn't hold.
On the...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It all started so innocently.
Jeremy Guthrie retired the side in order on 11 pitches, nine for strikes, in the bottom of the first inning. He induced a bouncer to third base from Rays cleanup hitter Evan Longoria leading off the second.
This is the end of the innocence.
Mark Reynolds tried to make a barehanded grab, but the ball deflected off his fingers and rolled down the left field line. The official scorer here ruled it a hit, but he easily could have given...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter said his bullpen is in "pretty good shape, all things considered." Unfortunately, he still had to use it last night despite getting nine scoreless innings from rookie Zach Britton.
"I've got a couple guys I'll stay away from tonight if I can," Showalter said.
One of them is closer Kevin Gregg, who's been used in the last three games.
"Kevin's reminded us that he's pitched nine out of 10 days (in the past)," Showalter said. "Somebody...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - I promised you one more quote from Brian Matusz, and I won't go back on my word.
"It's not hard for me to pump myself up and get excited," he said. "I am excited. I've been excited for a while. It's been tough these last few weeks, being in Sarasota, going out there and feeling good every day. It's been tough because I feel good, I feel healthy, I feel strong, and I want to get out there, but I realize this is my spring training process to get myself ready, so...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brian Matusz said he felt "real good" during today's bullpen session, and he's looking forward to Monday's injury rehab start at Single-A Frederick.
Matusz threw three innings Wednesday in an extended spring training game before joining the Orioles today at Tropicana Field and throwing on the side for bullpen coach Rick Adair. He'll fly to Baltimore on Sunday and pitch the following night for the Keys.
"I felt really good. I felt loose and I was hitting my...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Felix Pie is starting in left field tonight against Tampa Bay right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. Luke Scott is serving as the designated hitter.
For the Orioles:
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Derrek Lee 1B
Luke Scott DH
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
J.J. Hardy SS
Felix Pie LF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Jeremy Guthrie RHP
For the Rays:
Fuld CF
Zobrist RF
Damon DH
Longoria 3B
Joyce LF
Kotchman 1B
Rodriguez 2B
Brignac SS
Jaso C
Hellickson RHP
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz threw his bullpen session earlier this afternoon at Tropicana Field after driving over from the minor league complex in Sarasota.
Matusz threw 38 pitches, with bullpen coach Rick Adair keeping a close watch. Adair is serving as pitching coach again tonight while Mark Connor attends his son's graduation from the University of Tennessee law school.
Manager Buck Showalter came onto the field to watch the last half of Matusz's...
The Orioles improved to 1-11 at home when scoring three runs or fewer.
You knew they wouldn't be blanked all season.
Tonight's game marked the first time two pitchers went nine innings or more and were both non-decisioned since July 10, 2010 - Philadelphia's Roy Halladay and Cincinnati's Travis Wood. It's the third time since 2000.
"It was another great team win tonight," Zach Britton said. "My job was to keep us in the game as long as possible. You've got to tip your hat to (Jason)...