The O's let another win slip away...
The Birds dropped their second straight to the visiting Oakland A's, 7-5 on Thursday night.
Unlike Wednesday's game, this one had "win" written all over it.
After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning, the O's rallied behind starter Brad Bergesen to take a 3-2 lead in the sixth, and extended the lead to 5-2 in the seventh inning.
Bergesen was masterful after a rough start, and left in the eighth inning with the O's up 5-2. Up to that point, Bergesen had allowed just the two runs off four hits and three bases on balls. After allowing consecutive singles in the eighth, he was lifted for long-reliever Jason Berken.
Berken did his job, getting an out on four pitches and keeping the runners in place...
But Dave Trembley decided to go back to the bullpen to match lefty-vs.-lefty, and brought in Mark Hendrickson...
Bad move.
Hendrickson couldn't get it done, and neither could Cla Meredith, as the A's broke through with a five-run eighth inning, spoiling Bergesen's night and effectively sending the O's on the road with another losing streak.
It gets harder and harder to watch.
The game was in the bag, yet here I am blogging about yet another wasted opportunity.
Honestly, it's hard not to blame Dave Trembley for this one. I understand bringing Bergesen back out to start the eighth inning...he was dominating, but after an extended offensive inning for the O's, Bergesen tired, and after allowing two singles to start the inning, he was pulled (which was the right move).
But the bullpen moves continue to baffle me...why not let Berken finish the inning? Four pitches is not "long" relief...these "lefty/righty" match-ups have not worked at all this season, so why not go with the hot hand?!
It doesn't matter now. The O's went 1-2 against Oakland on the short homestand, and now head to Toronto with a 15-33 record, STILL the worst in all of baseball...
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