Post-game notes: A winless homestand

Blown out: Today's 9-1 loss was the most lopsided of the year. The previous biggest margin of defeat was the four-run loss, 5-1 to Tampa on Monday. The Orioles completed a winless first homestand, going 0 and 6. They were outscored 37 to 16 during the six losses vs. Toronto and Tampa. Tampa outscored the Birds 22-8 during the three-game sweep. The 1-8 start is the worst since the 0-21 start in 1988. Tampa Bay is 5-1 vs. the O's on the season. Today's win evened the all-time series between the clubs at 105-105. Tampa is 14-7 in its last 21 games in Baltimore. O's pitching has allowed 17 runs over the last two games. O's pitchers have allowed ten homers the last four games. The team ERA was 6.11 in the Tampa series where the O's staff gave up 34 hits and 19 ER, including six homers in 28 innings. Berken was workin: Jason Berken allowed just one run in five innings in relief today and actually threw more pitches (74 to 73) than starter Brad Bergesen. Berken's ERA is 2.08 in three appearances. Mark Hendrickson pitched a scoreless 9th today and has an ERA of 1.93 with eight strikeouts in 4 2/3 on the year. For them: B.J. Upton hit his first two homers of the season today. He hit a three-run shot off Brad Bergesen in the third and a solo shot off Jason Berken in the seventh. It was his second career multi-homer game. The first was on July 20, 2007 vs. New York. Ben Zobrist went 0 for 4 today, snapping a 16-game batting streak dating to last year. Brad Bergesen's line: 3IP, 7H, 8R, 5ER, 2B, 3K, 2 HR's. Bergesen is 0-1, 11.74 through two starts covering 8 2/3. He has allowed 15 hits in 37 at bats on the year. Of the 15 hits, 10 are for extra bases with seven doubles and three homers. The O's rotation ERA increased today from 4.04 to 4.67 while the ERA of the bullpen decreased from 6.05 to 5.08. Today's attendance was 10,248 and three-date series attracted 33,108 vs. Tampa. The six-date season total is 125,646. The Orioles scored just eight runs in the series and have scored only 10 the past five games and 27 runs in nine games on the year. The team average is now .232. The RISP stat again: The Orioles have just two hits in their last 26 at bats with runners in scoring position over the last five games. As a team, they are batting .152 (10 for 66) on the year with RISP. Today they went 0 for 3 in that stat. Miguel Tejada hit a solo HR today and leads the club with 7 RBI. Ty Wigginton has back-to-back two-hit games and a four-game hitting streak. Felix Pie is 7 for 13 during a four-game batting streak. Nolan Reimold is 0 for his last 9 as his average has dropped to .130. Garrett Atkins went 0 for 12 in the series as his average dipped from .350 to .219. Thursday night the Orioles play at Oakland to begin a three-city, ten-game road trip. In the opener of a four-game series with the A's, David Hernandez (0-1, 3.00) pitches vs. Ben Sheets (0-0, 4.09). Hernandez allowed 2 ER over 6 2/3 in his only previous start vs. Oakland on August 11, 2009.