Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 29, 2011

Oakland 4, Baltimore 2
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Brad Bergesen gave a back-of-the-rotation performance last night -- solid but unspectacular -- and the Orioles offense once again failed to manifest any meaningful offense. This was the 24th time in 50 games that the Orioles scored 3 or fewer runs, and they currently sit 10th in the AL in OPS+ (96, with 100 as league average), 11th in total runs scored (205, with 218 as league average), and 11th in slugging (.380, with .392 as league average). In a season where the Orioles need to figure out what they have in the future core staff (Matusz/Britton/Arrieta/Tillman/Bergsen) the offense needs to do a better job of providing support to these young arms.

Stat of the game

0

Once again the number of extra base hits Baltimore was able to muster. For those keeping score, that is now 18 straight innings without an extra bagger.

Orioles Game ball

Jim Johnson (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO); last 5 app. (7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Mitch Atkins, RHP (6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO) Next stop, Baltimore!
Bowie (Box) - Ronnie Welty, RF (3-4, HR (8))
Frederick (Box) - Steven Bumbry, CF (2-4, 2B (7), BB)
Delmarva (Box) - Jonathan Schoop, SS/3B (2-4, HR (7))

Three Morning Links

Brad Bergesen has been optioned to AAA Norfolk, writes MASN's Roch Kubatko. He will be replaced by Pedrio Viola, who should in turn be replaced by Brian Matusz later this week.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Sun tells us Brian Matusz could make his first MLB start of the year on Wednesday, in the series finale against the Seattle Mariners.

Daniel Moroz at CamdenCrazies.com thinks perhaps Chris Tillman should be the rotation member on the outside looking in.

Up Next

Baltimore hopes Zach Britton (60 ERA-, 95 FIP-, 3.76 xFIP) can help them avoid a sweep at the hands of Guillermo Moscoso (0 ERA-, 90 FIP-, 5.30 xFIP) and the Athletics.