Post-game Notes: Pen can't hold lead vs. TB

The pen falters again - The O's bullpen went from bad to worse Monday night. The pen could not protect a 6-3 lead after six and a half innings. Willie Aybar's three-run, pinch hit homer tied it in the 7th and Tampa scored the winning run in the 8th. Tonight the O's pen allowed four hits and four runs over three innings. The pen ERA on this road trip is 8.37. The bullpen ERA over the last 29 games is 6.77.
Starter Mark Hendrickson was in line to win as he gave up three hits, all solo homers, over six innings. Hendrickson, who has just one win in ten starts on the year, threw 85 pitches, 55 strikes. Hendrickson is 0-1, 3.32 in September and the Orioles are 3-7 when he starts. The O's losing streak has reached 11 games, it's the 6th streak of 11 or more games in franchise history. The last time the club lost 12 in a row was from August 16-28, 2004. During the 11-game losing streak: *O's have been out-scored 77-35 *O's team average is .252 *O's team ERA is 6.58 *Opponents team average is .319 *Losses by two runs or less - 5 The O's have lost 13 of the last 15 and 19 of the last 25 games. They are 6-18 in September and 20-48 since the All-Star break. The Orioles have now lost on 12 straight Mondays since beating Seattle on Monday June 1st. They are 5-14 on Mondays this season. Magnificent Matt - Matt Wieters went 3 for 4 with an RBI. It's his fourth three-hit game over the last nine games. Over the past 14 games, Wieters is batting .434 (23 for 53) with three homers and 14 RBI. Wieters is batting .378 over his last 22 games. Brian Roberts went 2 for 6 with a two-run homer. It was his 16th homer, two shy of his career high set in 2005. Roberts has 15 RBI over his last 20 games. He is 5 for 12 over the last three games. Melvin Mora snapped a 2 for 24 stretch, going 2 for 5 with two RBI. Going, going, gone ! - O's pitching allowed four homers tonight and has given up eight homers over the last three games. The Birds have allowed at least one homer in ten straight games, giving up 21 in that span. The O's have given up a Major League leading 209 homers this year. The club record is 226 in 1987. The O's 11 consecutive losses matches Cleveland and Tampa for the longest losing streaks in the AL this year. Tampa scored seven runs tonight after averaging just 3.7 runs per game in September. The Rays are 8-5 since the end of their 11-game losing streak. Tampa's four homers tonight makes its total 193 on the year. That's a Rays club record, surpassing the 190 hit by the 2006 squad. The Rays lead the season series now 8-7 and are 4-2 vs. the Birds at Tropicana Field.