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Bedard does it again as Orioles top Devil Rays

Jul 26, 2007 - 3:13 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Erik Bedard has to be hoping that the summer never comes to an end.

Bedard pitched six solid innings and Ramon Hernandez drove in two runs as the Baltimore Orioles topped the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-1, on Wednesday.

It was the fourth win in as many starts for Bedard (10-4), who allowed one run, six hits and two walks while striking out eight. The lefthander improved to 6-0 with a 1.97 ERA in his last eight starts and has allowed just two earned runs in his last 29 innings.

"It was a battle from the first pitch of the game," Bedard said. "I was getting lucky, just throwing strikes. My fastball was a little erratic. I was depending on my curve more than on my fastball."

Baltimore, which improved to 17-13 under interim manager Dave Trembley, wasted no time in giving their staff ace a lead.

After Tampa Bay starter Andy Sonnanstine (1-6) loaded the bases with two outs in the first, Hernandez delivered a two-run single on a high pop fly that dropped between left fielder Carl Crawford and shortstop Brendan Harris.

"You try to forget about that (play)," Sonnanstine said. "Things are going to go that way sometimes."

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was less forgiving of his defense, stating that it was "a play you have to make."

Jay Payton made it a 3-0 advantage moments later with an RBI single before Jay Gibbons popped out to end the frame.

Highlighted by Corey Patterson's fifth home run of the season, one of three hits by the No. 2 hitter, Baltimore tacked on a run apiece in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to pull away.

Patterson was batting .205 when Trembley took over as manager and, 30 games later, he's batting .264.

"I haven't changed anything," Patterson said. "As players, we just go through rough stretches here and there."

Trembley had another take on Patterson's success.

"He's a lot more relaxed. He's using the whole field and he's not chasing pitches out of the strike zone," he said.

Bedard departed after throwing 109 pitches and, unlike earlier in the season, the effort was enough to secure the win. During a span of 11 starts from April 23-June 15, Bedard posted a 3.06 ERA over 70 2/3 innings but had just one win to show for it.

"We're just scoring some runs for him," Trembley said. "I think that's the big difference. He got a bunch of no-decisions because we didn't score any runs for him."

The only mistake Bedard made Wednesday occurred in the third inning, when he allowed a mammoth home run to Raul Casanova.

The 28-year-old also improved his major league-leading strikeout total to 175 and is positioning himself to become the first Baltimore pitcher since Bob Turley (185) in 1954 to lead the league in strikeouts.

Bedard also is threatening the franchise record for strikeouts in a season, held by Mike Mussina, who fanned 218 batters in 1997.

"I thought he was very special tonight because he didn't give in at all," Trembley said. "Tonight shows why he's such a good pitcher. He pitches, he doesn't throw."

Sonnanstine (1-6) lasted six innings, allowing five runs, seven hits and three walks while striking out four. The rookie righthander is 0-6 in eight starts since getting his first major league victory on June 10.

The Devil Rays have lost five straight, 22 of 27 and have dropped their last eight games in Baltimore.