Post-game Notes: O's fall at Chicago

O's righty Jason Berken took the loss, falling to 1-7, 6.44. It was Berken's second worst start, topped only by the 9ER he allowed in just 3 1/3 innings June 6th at Oakland. Tonight, Berken gave six runs in 4 1/3 innings, allowing two homers. He had pitched to an ERA of 3.72 in his previous two starts. Berken is now 0-3, 10.26 in four road starts. He is 0-7 over his last nine starts and the Orioles are 2-8 in his ten starts in 2009.
The O's 12 runs allowed was the most they've given up since a 12-1 loss at Boston on April 20th. The Birds had allowed 14 runs total in the last five games. The O's bullpen had pitched to an ERA of 0.84 over the previous five games, but tonight the pen allowed 6ER over 3 2/3 innings. The Sox have been a torrid hitting team and that continued tonight. Over the last 19 games, the Sox team average is .314 and they've hit 45 doubles and 31 homers in that span. They have scored 127 runs in the 19 games, for an average of 6.7 runs per game. The O's set season-highs with six doubles and eight extra-base hits. The previous best was seven extra-base hits, done three times, the last one was July 11 vs. Toronto. Jim Thome hit a three-run homer in the 5th and his 9th career Grand Slam in the 6th. He had a 7 RBI night and has knocked in 14 runs over his last three games. Thome has 28 career homers vs. Baltimore and 557 for his career, 13th best all-time. Reggie Jackson is 12th with 563 homers. The O's actually out-hit Chicago, 14 to 13 in the game and the O's fall to 30-7 on the season when they out-hit the opponent. Six O's had multi-hit nights. Adam Jones went 2 for 5 with a homer and 3 RBI. It was just his second homer in the last 41 games. Over his last ten games, Jones is hitting .333 (14 for 42) with 6 RBI. Jones had gone 24 games without a homer before tonight. His last had come June 13 vs. Atlanta. Aubrey Huff had two hits, snapping a 3 for 28 stretch. Huff has 16 RBI his last 22 games. Nick Markakis came up with a two-run homer to end a 24-game homer drought. Markakis is 6 for 18 during a four-game hitting streak. His last homer came June 16 vs. the Mets. Melvin Mora, who was batting just .171 over 12 games, tonight went 3 for 4. Nolan Reimold, who entered in a 4 for 36 slump, had two hits in four at bats. Brian Roberts had one of the O's six doubles. He has 14 doubles his last 31 games and 30 on the year.