Notes and quotes from the Orioles' loss last night

ANAHEIM, Calif. - In a pitcher's duel Tuesday night the Orioles lost to one of their former players. They had some big chances to score on offense but the key hit that came on Monday night didn't arrive last night.

One night after getting back to the .500 mark, the Orioles are one game under again after Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Right-hander Parker Bridwell, the Orioles ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft, held Baltimore to six hits and one run over seven innings.

Bridwell has gotten off to a stunning start for the Angels. He is 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA, and the Angels are 9-1 in his 10 starts.

"At the end of the day, obviously it's a little bit sweeter, but I just had to execute my pitches like a normal start. Luckily, I came out and I did that," Bridwell said after his seventh quality start in 10 chances.

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph drove in both runs last night with an RBI single in the fifth and solo homer in the ninth. He could tell the game was meaningful for the former Oriole.

"He's a good dude. I enjoyed (playing with) Parker," Joseph said. "He's a great human, works hard. Sometimes there's just unfortunate circumstances where you're in position to make decisions, and I'm glad he's pitching well over here. He's a good guy. Not very happy he pitched well tonight against us. It doesn't surprise me. He's got good stuff. We had some pitches to do damage with and we didn't do very much with it. He did a nice job, but we can put a better effort out there, for sure."

Down 3-1 in the eighth, the Orioles could not score after putting runners on first and third with no outs against reliever Cam Bedrosian. Jonathan Schoop and Chris Davis struck out, and Trey Mancini flied to left.

It was a frustrating missed chance for manager Buck Showalter's team.

"Yeah, it is," Showalter said. "I don't know about momentum but you get an opportunity there, just like they had off Darren (O'Day), and found a way to get out of it. It's not quite as easy as it looks. Just to go up there and hit a fly ball or drive one in. But would've liked to push one across there. We like our chances in extra innings."

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson made his second start for the Orioles, and it was going very well through six innings. He was locked in a 1-1 game with Bridwell and pitching a two-hitter. But after striking out six of seven hitters through the sixth, he allowed four straight hits leading to two runs in the seventh, and the Angels made those runs stand up for a win.

Hellickson went six innings. allowing six hits and three runs. He fanned a season-high nine, which is one shy of his career high. He had an excellent changeup but Showalter said there was more than just that pitch working.

"He had all of them. He'd go curveball strike, curveball short and changeup. He's got a cutter he uses a lot for strike one, too. And then he goes 87 with that to 91 (mph) with the fastball, and it presents a real challenge to hitters," he said.

In two starts as an Oriole, Hellickson is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA. Over 13 innings he has yielded 11 hits and three runs with two walks and 12 strikeouts.

O's pitchers have allowed five runs in this series, with four walks and 20 strikeouts. O's starters in this series have worked a combined 13 innings, allowing five runs with one walk, and recording 19 strikeouts and two quality starts. Over the last 11 games, O's starting pitchers have a 2.24 ERA and have allowed two earned runs or fewer nine times.

The Orioles will try to win the series finale this afternoon and win this series. Then it's on to Oakland for four games after today's contest at Angels Stadium.

Three teams - Kansas City, Seattle and Tampa Bay - are now tied for the second American League wild-card spot. Those three lead the Orioles and Twins by 1 1/2 games, with the Angels two games back.

Orioles minor league infield coordinator Dave Anderson will serve as the interim bullpen coach today in Anaheim and Thursday in Oakland as bullpen coach Alan Mills attends a family funeral.