Monday, September 27, 2010

Matusz Topples Tampa

The Rays were hoping to pop some champagne with a victory; instead, the O's handed them a 4-0 loss in St. Petersburg on Monday night.

Brian Matusz looked like the Rookie of the Year we all expected to see in April...Matusz (9-12) blanked the Rays on three hits over seven innings, walking two, hitting a batter and striking out eight. Matusz has now won five straight contests...

The bullpen was almost as impressive: Jim Johnson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before Koji Uehara came on to strike the side out in the ninth...

In a pitcher's duel, the Birds finally got on the board in the fifth...Cesar Izturis slapped a double and crossed home plate courtesy of Nick Markakis' RBI triple. The O's tacked on three more runs in the seventh, but the one run was all Matusz and the 'pen would need on Monday night...

With just six games left this season, the Orioles (62-94) would have to lose them all to hit 100 losses, an almost sure-thing before Buck Showalter took the helm. The Birds need to win just twice more to equal their win total from last season. Brad Bergesen will take the mound for the O's on Tuesday night...here's hoping the champagne stays corked for at least one more day!

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