Nanner
09-19-2006, 07:50 PM
Sorry I'm a little late with this. I was all caught up in my hometown team. :D
So, last night, Eric Bedard got his 15th win. :thumbsup: This guy can be a cornerstone of our pitching in the future. Can you say stud?
And, Corey Patterson rocks!!! :banana:
Here's the recap!
Orioles 4, Devil Rays 1
Bedard handles Rays for 15th win
Patterson's 3-run HR is plenty for O's lefty
By Jeff Zrebiec
Sun Reporter
Originally published September 19, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. // Another meaningless game at Tropicana Field - aren't they all here in September? - actually featured a feel-good story line for the Orioles, even if Erik Bedard didn't want to acknowledge it.
Bedard, the Orioles' top starter, has said on numerous occasions this year that his only goal was to better his win total from the previous season, which was six. If he was serious - and one never knows with Bedard, who is typically guarded in his dealings with the media - he was selling himself tremendously short.
The Orioles' left-hander won his 15th game last night in an effort that offered more proof that Bedard is becoming one of the better young pitchers in the game. He threw strikes, used all his pitches and frequently forced the Tampa Bay Devil Rays into a guessing game that they didn't win. Bedard pitched seven dominant innings, not allowing an earned run, in the Orioles' 4-1 victory before 11,729.
Bedard allowed four hits, a walk and one unearned run, while striking out 10, all on swinging third strikes. He struck out every Devil Rays starter except their No. 9 hitter, shortstop Ben Zobrist. It was an effort that impressed everyone, except the pitcher himself.
"I know it's more wins than I've ever had in my career, but I just go out there and pitch," said Bedard, who is now 15-9 with a 3.62 ERA. "If I win, I win."
Bedard had only 12 major league victories on his resume before the season, but as early as spring training, Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone felt that the club had something special with the left-hander.
"My first impressions of him ... I told [Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo] that I think that we have a good one here," Mazzone said. "The only thing I can compare it to is thinking back on the great rotations in Atlanta. He could have pitched on them. That's the best compliment I can give him."
Said Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts : "It's not that hard to tell when a guy has that kind of ability. We've all known that, but it takes time to learn how to succeed at this level. He's just continued to get better and better. He's obviously shown he can be a dominating pitcher."
Bedard attributed his success this season to being "more consistent with my pitches. I can throw them for strikes anytime. That's a big difference."
That was painfully obvious to Tampa Bay hitters last night. The Devil Rays were often behind on Bedard's fastball, which he threw in the low to mid-90s all night. They took many an empty hack at the pitcher's curveball and in one at-bat in particular, against Tampa Bay leadoff man Rocco Baldelli, Bedard showed off his improving changeup. Baldelli took two wild swings at that pitch and came up empty.
"There was really nothing we could do about it," said Baldelli, who was 1-for-3 against Bedard with two strikeouts. "I don't know what he was doing, but whatever it was, it was nasty."
His pitch count at 105 (75 strikes) after the seventh, Bedard told Perlozzo that he was done. There were some anxious moments that followed, even with a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Todd Williams allowed the first two men to reach, but Perlozzo used Brian Burres to get one out on the dangerous Carl Crawford and Chris Britton to get the final two outs. Britton struck out Greg Norton looking to end the inning and strand both base runners.
Despite needing closer Chris Ray for 2 1/3 innings a day earlier, Perlozzo went back to the 24-year-old, who loaded the bases before getting rookie phenom Delmon Young to ground out to end the game for the Orioles (65-85).
Ray, who had blown two straight save opportunities and appeared dangerously close to blowing a third, picked up his 32nd save.
"Chris said that he was good for one inning," said Perlozzo, who said the pitcher would be unavailable tonight. "He still had his velocity. It wasn't like he was tired."
It was a season-high eighth straight loss for the Devil Rays, who will need to play .500 baseball over their final 12 games to avoid a third 100-loss season, but their first since 2002.
Tampa Bay starter Tim Corcoran (4-9) pitched six solid innings, but paid for one big mistake in the second inning. Orioles center fielder Corey Patterson powered a 1-1 fastball into the right-field seats for a three-run homer. It was his 14th of the season and his first since Aug. 22.
Corcoran, who was flip-flopped in the rotation with tonight's starter, Jason Hammel, is now 0-9 since the All-Star break, though he didn't pitch poorly. He just had the unfortunate luck of going against Bedard.
The Orioles' 27-year-old pitcher made his sixth start last night against the Devil Rays, pitching in every series this season between the teams. It's only the fifth time since the 1977 season that an Orioles pitcher has made six starts against one team.
Apparently, the extra looks at Bedard haven't helped. With two more starts to go, Bedard will have a shot at 17 wins.
"I would love to win my next two starts, but ask me [what it would mean] at the end of the season if I have [17 wins] or not," said Bedard.
For one night, Bedard was completely satisfied with 15 wins, not that you'd know it from talking to him.
Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun
So, last night, Eric Bedard got his 15th win. :thumbsup: This guy can be a cornerstone of our pitching in the future. Can you say stud?
And, Corey Patterson rocks!!! :banana:
Here's the recap!
Orioles 4, Devil Rays 1
Bedard handles Rays for 15th win
Patterson's 3-run HR is plenty for O's lefty
By Jeff Zrebiec
Sun Reporter
Originally published September 19, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. // Another meaningless game at Tropicana Field - aren't they all here in September? - actually featured a feel-good story line for the Orioles, even if Erik Bedard didn't want to acknowledge it.
Bedard, the Orioles' top starter, has said on numerous occasions this year that his only goal was to better his win total from the previous season, which was six. If he was serious - and one never knows with Bedard, who is typically guarded in his dealings with the media - he was selling himself tremendously short.
The Orioles' left-hander won his 15th game last night in an effort that offered more proof that Bedard is becoming one of the better young pitchers in the game. He threw strikes, used all his pitches and frequently forced the Tampa Bay Devil Rays into a guessing game that they didn't win. Bedard pitched seven dominant innings, not allowing an earned run, in the Orioles' 4-1 victory before 11,729.
Bedard allowed four hits, a walk and one unearned run, while striking out 10, all on swinging third strikes. He struck out every Devil Rays starter except their No. 9 hitter, shortstop Ben Zobrist. It was an effort that impressed everyone, except the pitcher himself.
"I know it's more wins than I've ever had in my career, but I just go out there and pitch," said Bedard, who is now 15-9 with a 3.62 ERA. "If I win, I win."
Bedard had only 12 major league victories on his resume before the season, but as early as spring training, Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone felt that the club had something special with the left-hander.
"My first impressions of him ... I told [Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo] that I think that we have a good one here," Mazzone said. "The only thing I can compare it to is thinking back on the great rotations in Atlanta. He could have pitched on them. That's the best compliment I can give him."
Said Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts : "It's not that hard to tell when a guy has that kind of ability. We've all known that, but it takes time to learn how to succeed at this level. He's just continued to get better and better. He's obviously shown he can be a dominating pitcher."
Bedard attributed his success this season to being "more consistent with my pitches. I can throw them for strikes anytime. That's a big difference."
That was painfully obvious to Tampa Bay hitters last night. The Devil Rays were often behind on Bedard's fastball, which he threw in the low to mid-90s all night. They took many an empty hack at the pitcher's curveball and in one at-bat in particular, against Tampa Bay leadoff man Rocco Baldelli, Bedard showed off his improving changeup. Baldelli took two wild swings at that pitch and came up empty.
"There was really nothing we could do about it," said Baldelli, who was 1-for-3 against Bedard with two strikeouts. "I don't know what he was doing, but whatever it was, it was nasty."
His pitch count at 105 (75 strikes) after the seventh, Bedard told Perlozzo that he was done. There were some anxious moments that followed, even with a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Todd Williams allowed the first two men to reach, but Perlozzo used Brian Burres to get one out on the dangerous Carl Crawford and Chris Britton to get the final two outs. Britton struck out Greg Norton looking to end the inning and strand both base runners.
Despite needing closer Chris Ray for 2 1/3 innings a day earlier, Perlozzo went back to the 24-year-old, who loaded the bases before getting rookie phenom Delmon Young to ground out to end the game for the Orioles (65-85).
Ray, who had blown two straight save opportunities and appeared dangerously close to blowing a third, picked up his 32nd save.
"Chris said that he was good for one inning," said Perlozzo, who said the pitcher would be unavailable tonight. "He still had his velocity. It wasn't like he was tired."
It was a season-high eighth straight loss for the Devil Rays, who will need to play .500 baseball over their final 12 games to avoid a third 100-loss season, but their first since 2002.
Tampa Bay starter Tim Corcoran (4-9) pitched six solid innings, but paid for one big mistake in the second inning. Orioles center fielder Corey Patterson powered a 1-1 fastball into the right-field seats for a three-run homer. It was his 14th of the season and his first since Aug. 22.
Corcoran, who was flip-flopped in the rotation with tonight's starter, Jason Hammel, is now 0-9 since the All-Star break, though he didn't pitch poorly. He just had the unfortunate luck of going against Bedard.
The Orioles' 27-year-old pitcher made his sixth start last night against the Devil Rays, pitching in every series this season between the teams. It's only the fifth time since the 1977 season that an Orioles pitcher has made six starts against one team.
Apparently, the extra looks at Bedard haven't helped. With two more starts to go, Bedard will have a shot at 17 wins.
"I would love to win my next two starts, but ask me [what it would mean] at the end of the season if I have [17 wins] or not," said Bedard.
For one night, Bedard was completely satisfied with 15 wins, not that you'd know it from talking to him.
Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun