Dennis Sarfate entered today's game at Triple-A Norfolk, but he apparently left without throwing a pitch. Anybody else find that strange? The Tides lead Charlotte, 7-0, in the bottom of the seventh. Jake Arrieta tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out five. He threw 79 pitches, 56 for strikes. Update: Sarfate left the game with a strained oblique muscle. He's tossed three scoreless innings for the Tides this season, allowing one hit, walking one and striking...

Brad Bergesen is getting hit hard early today by the Rays, who already lead 6-0 in the third. He has allowed a pair of 400-foot, three-run homers, one to Carlos Pena and one to B.J. Upton. Pena has hit two three-run homers in his last two at bats here in less than 24 hours. Pena's first-inning three-run homer produced three unearned runs after Miguel Tejada dropped a pop up. Through three frames, Bergesen has allowed six runs on five hits. The Rays are 5 for 15 against him with four...

I wonder if the new reliever can get here right now. Brad Bergesen is getting the pinata treatment today. B.J. Upton just hit a three-run homer in the third inning, the second for the Rays today. Tampa Bay 6, Orioles 0. Bergesen just doesn't have it today. Upton slaughtered an 89 mph fastball, sending it 405 feet into the seats in left-center field. The Rays also collected two doubles in the inning. Four of their five hits have gone for extra-bases, with Upton and Carlos Pena touching...

Since today's game has started so well here today, let's check the minors where two O's affiliates have day games. Delmarva has already beaten Greensboro 9-4 in a game that began at 10:35. The Shorebirds are now 5-2 and had 11 hits. They've had ten or more hits in six games. Towson University product Gary Helmick hit two homers with 5 RBI today and Tyler Kolodny added a two-run shot. Jake Cowan, last year's 10th-round pick, pitched six innings of shuout ball to go to 1 and 0. He...

The Orioles just announced that they've placed reliever Mike Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder. The move is retroactive to April 10. A corresponding roster move will be announced "at a later time," according to the Orioles' press release. Usually, that means after the game. Kam Mickolio has allowed one run and four hits in three innings, with four walks and five strikeouts, at Triple-A Norfolk. Alberto Castillo has surrendered one run and two hits, with...

Backup catcher Craig Tatum, making his first start today for the Orioles, assumed that Brad Bergesen hadn't faced Tampa Bay in the regular season because he couldn't find video of the game. Maybe the Orioles burned it. Bergesen took the loss last year after giving up four runs and nine hits, including a homer, in 5 2/3 innings. Tatum is looking for any advantage as he gets more acquainted with the pitching staff. He caught Bergesen twice in spring training and has set the target in...

Don't expect Adam Jones to be pacing the floor today in anticipation of batting first for the Orioles. He's done it six other times in his career, and he told me earlier today that his placement in the lineup doesn't make "one bit of difference." "Where I hit never changes my approach," he said. So don't look for Jones to lay down a bunt in the first inning. "I just play my normal game," he said. "It's more at-bats and I love hitting, so it gives me an opportunity to get up...

If you think the Orioles are not taking enough pitches and working the count well right now, you are probably right. As of yesterday, the Orioles as a team saw 3.63 pitches per plate appearance and that ranked next to last in the Majors. They were ahead of only San Francisco at 3.56. Dave Trembley felt the stat gets played up more because the club is losing. He said today he felt the team was doing a better job working the count earlier in games, but was more aggressive at the bat later...

Reliever Mike Gonzalez notified manager Dave Trembley last night that he wasn't available to pitch because he couldn't get his shoulder loose in the bullpen. A team physician will examine Gonzalez today. "He told me that he wasn't feeling comfortable getting loose last night," Trembley said. "Obviously, there were a couple situations last night where I would have loved to bring him in." Trembley is waiting to receive an update from head athletic trainer Richie Bancells, but he...

Here is the problem with Orioles baseball right now. You have to play the eighth inning. The Orioles have allowed 11 runs in the 8th this year and from that inning on have been outscored 21 to 5 on the season. That's terrible, right? Who is to blame? Just about everyone. Take a few starters out of the mix, maybe Matt Wieters, but just about everyone else in the clubhouse has had a hand in a 1 and 7 start. The fans are lashing out. Some of the comments we've gotten have never been...