Some post-game thoughts after Bergesen and Wigginton lead the O's past Minnesota

Well, you won't win many games when you score just two runs, but the Orioles did it tonight at Minnesota. The O's had been 0-12 this year when scoring two runs or less. By far the best news of the night was seeing Brad Bergesen look like the Bergesen of 2009. He did get behind more hitters tonight than he did then, but he still got them out. The sinker was diving down in the zone late and he hardly threw anything besides that pitch. It goes to show that Bergy can have Major League success with an effective sinking pitch even when the batters know what is coming. It would be quite a lift for this team to see Bergy get on the roll he was on last June and July before Billy Butler changed a few things. Will Ohman has become someone to count on and got that huge strikeout vs. Jim Thome, Koji looked sharp and Alfredo Simon had a quick, clean save. The Orioles beat a first-place team and one that had won four in a row, scoring 27 runs in those games. Now if they could just get the bats going, but tonight the pitching overshadowed everything. More notes on tonight's game: Bergesen lowered his ERA from 10.57 to 7.36. He is now 2-2 on the year. He and Brian Matusz each have two wins, the only four victories by O's starters this year. This was, believe it or not, Bergesen's first-ever road win. He is now 1-5, 4.45 in ten career road starts. The Orioles had three shutouts last year and this was their first of 2010 as they lowered the team ERA from 4.65 to 4.49. The O's bullpen pitched 2 1/3 hitless, scoreless innings in the win. The pen ERA for the year is down to 4.02. Over the last five games, the Orioles bullpen has pitched to an ERA of 0.77 (1 ER over 11 2/3 IP). The O's went 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position and are 0 for 18 with RISP over the last four games. The Orioles have scored just 12 runs over their last five games. Since beginning the year at 2-16, the O's are 6-5 over the last 11 games. The Twins scored 19 runs in their three-game sweep of Detroit, but went just 6 for 34 at bat, 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. Minnesota, which has won eight of its first nine series, is now 19-10 overall, 9-4 at home and 2-2 vs. AL East teams. Ty Wigginton's two-run homer was his 10th of the year, one fewer than all of last year. He now has hit homers in back-to-back games and has hit four in his last six games. Garrett Atkins went 1 for 4 and is 7 for 14 during a four-game batting streak. Nick Markakis had one hit and is 11 for 25 (.440) during a seven-game streak. Miguel Tejada went 2 for 3 and is 12 for 26 (.462) during a seven-game batting streak. Friday at 8:05, Kevin Millwood (0-3, 3.15) pitches vs. the Twins Francisco Liriano (4-0, 1.50). In 12 career starts vs. the Twins, Millwood is 0-7, 5.90. Liriano was the AL pitcher of the month for April with an ERA of 0.93. He was the only starter in the league with an ERA under 1.00 in the month. The lefty has not allowed a homer over his last 38 1/3 innings. He is 1-0, 0.00 in one career start vs. the Orioles and has recorded five of five quality starts this season.