I attended last night’s game, and when I arrived to the park in the opening inning, things looked bad for Baltimore. They were already down 4-0 to a Tampa team trying to find its way back after an 11-game skid. Jason Berken – who started the game for Baltimore – gave up two singles to start off the game, allowed Ben Zobrist to plate in a run with a double, and then gave up a three-run shot to Pat Burrell.
It looked like all hope would be lost in opening frame; however, the Orioles fought back thanks to a gutsy outing by Jason Berken along with a five-RBI night by Matt Wieters. In the end, Baltimore ended up defeating Tampa, 10-5.
Berken earned his 5th win on the season; meanwhile, Jeff Niemann – a Rookie of the Year candidate – labored, and struggled as he took the loss, lasting only four 4 1/3 innings on the mound. Also, Brian Roberts passed a milestone with Orioles as he hit his 52nd double with the team in a season – breaking his own record of 51.
It looked like certain doom for the Orioles, but perhaps something clicked in Berken, and he ended up going 6 1/3 innings, giving up five runs; however, after the first inning, he’d only give up one run. The only other run Berken gave up was in the third inning as Burrell struck again with an RBI-single.
Baltimore finally got on the board in the third inning to make the score, 5-2, thanks an RBI-double by Brian Roberts and a groundout by Nick Markakis. They got another run in the fourth as Cesar Iztruis had an RBI-single.
The Orioles took the lead, 6-5, in the fifth as Luke Scott had an RBI groundout, and Wieters inflicted some damage with a single that plated in two runs. In the seventh inning, Luke Scott again delivered – this time with a solo homer, his 22nd to raise the score to 7-5.
We all know that Scott has been struggling, and the look on his face when he hit that homer was one of satisfaction, but also relief.
The Orioles put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth as Matt Wieters hit his 6th homer, a towering three-run shot that ended up well in the right field bleachers. Amazingly, his homer last night was the first non-opposite field homer he’s hit in the majors.
