Final
  for this game

Orioles-Phillies Preview

Jun 20, 2009 - 3:46 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Baltimore (29-37) at Philadelphia (36-28), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to struggle at home, even against the team with the AL's worst road record.

The slumping Phillies look to snap a four-game slide at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night when they continue their three-game set against a Baltimore Orioles club trying to win its first series in Philadelphia since 2002.

Philadelphia (36-29) fell to 1-6 on its homestand with a 7-2 loss Friday. The NL East-leading Phillies are a major league-best 23-9 on the road this season, but they were showered with a chorus of boos in the series opener as their record at home sunk to 13-20.

"The first rule of thumb is get a good ball to hit," said Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel, whose team is batting .232 during its skid. "When it's a 2-0 or 3-1 count, sometimes when I look at our hitters, it looks like they're in the hole.

"We can coach you and tell you things to do, but you're the ones hitting. You have to execute."

That hasn't been a problem for the Orioles (30-37), who are hitting .322 while winning five of six.

Rookie Nolan Reimold had two hits including a homer. Nick Markakis also had two hits and two RBIs and Aubrey Huff had an RBI double.

Matt Wieters extended his hitting streak to four with a game-tying, two-run double in the third inning. The highly touted rookie catcher is batting .367 (11 for 30) in his last eight games. He scored the go-ahead run in the third on an RBI single from starting pitcher Rich Hill.

The left-hander went 6 2-3 innings and allowed two runs and five hits as the Orioles snapped a five-game slide away from Camden Yards and improved to 9-20 on the road this season.

"(Hill) pitched well," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "The most important thing was he got guys out after they scored."

Brad Bergesen (4-2, 3.79 ERA) takes the mound as the Orioles go for their first series win in Philadelphia since taking two of three at Veterans Stadium from June 14-16, 2002. The 23-year-old rookie right-hander tossed his first complete game Sunday in an 11-2 rout of Atlanta.

Bergesen allowed just two solo homers by David Ross, the second snapping his 18-inning scoreless streak.

"I had a couple balls hit hard that worked out in my favor today, right at guys," he told the team's official Web site. "I just kept pounding the strike zone."

He's 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in his last two starts.

Philadelphia counters with J.A. Happ (4-0, 3.53). In an 11-6 win over Boston on Sunday, Happ matched a career high with three homers allowed, including back-to-back shots by Rocco Baldelli and Nick Green as the Red Sox scored four times in the second inning.

Happ went 5 2-3 innings after throwing 58 of his 108 pitches in the first two innings.

"Finally I was able to convince myself to slow down a little bit and try to hit my spots and actually pitch the count a little more, and that was the difference," he said.

Since taking Chan Ho Park's spot in the rotation beginning May 23, Happ is 2-0 with a 4.30 ERA in five starts.

Jayson Werth drove in two runs with a first-inning double Friday. The Phillies right fielder is hitting .385 (10 for 26) with four homers and 10 RBIs during his six-game hitting streak.

Jimmy Rollins, the 2007 NL MVP, went 0 for 3 with two walks as his batting average dipped to .201 at home this season.








  • ML
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    BALTIMORE 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 6 16 0
    PHILADELPHIA 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 5 8 0 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: BAL - BRADLEY BERGESEN, DANYS BAEZ (7TH), MATT ALBERS (8TH), MARK
    HENDRICKSON (8TH), GEORGE SHERRILL (9TH) AND GREGG ZAUN
    PHI - J.A. HAPP, CHAD DURBIN (7TH), CHAN H

    Jun 20 9:59 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BRIAN ROBERTS (7) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH
    2 OUT IN THE 9TH OFF RYAN MADSON SCORED FELIX PIE.
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 6, PHILADELPHIA 5
    DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.294, 1-FOR-5)

    Orioles 6, Phillies 5  Top 9, 0 OutsJun 20 9:49 PM
  • 73
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 38 roots (Close Finish)

    Orioles 6, Phillies 5  Top 9, 0 OutsJun 20 9:49 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY GREGG ZAUN (2) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN THE
    9TH OFF RYAN MADSON.
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 4, PHILADELPHIA 5
    DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: R ANDINO (.253, 2-FOR-4)

    Orioles 4, Phillies 5  Top 9, 0 OutsJun 20 9:44 PM
  • 35
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 35 roots (Close Finish)

    Orioles 4, Phillies 5  Top 9, 0 OutsJun 20 9:44 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY RYAN HOWARD (20) TO CENTER WITH 2 OUT
    IN THE 7TH OFF DANYS BAEZ SCORED MATT STAIRS AND GREG DOBBS.
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3, PHILADELPHIA 5
    DUE UP FOR PHILADELPHIA: C DURBIN (.200, 0 HR, 0 RBI)

    Orioles 3, Phillies 5  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 9:14 PM
  • 0
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    RUWTbot Took away 73 roots

    Orioles 3, Phillies 5  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 9:14 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY GREG DOBBS SCORED CHASE UTLEY.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, G DOBBS ON FIRST, M STAIRS ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3
    PHILADELPHIA 2 BOTTOM, 7TH
    DUE UP FOR PHILADELPHIA: P FELIZ (.300, 0-FOR-2)

    Orioles 3, Phillies 2  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 9:07 PM
  • 73
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    RUWTbot Added 35 roots (Close Finish)

    Orioles 3, Phillies 2  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 9:07 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY CHASE UTLEY SCORED SHANE VICTORINO.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C UTLEY ON SECOND, 0 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3
    PHILADELPHIA 1 BOTTOM, 7TH
    DUE UP FOR PHILADELPHIA: M STAIRS (.268, 0-FOR-2)

    Orioles 3, Phillies 1  Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 20 9:03 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    BASES LOADED WALK TO BRIAN ROBERTS SCORED LUKE SCOTT.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B ROBERTS ON FIRST, B BERGESEN ON SECOND, G
    ZAUN ON THIRD, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3
    PHILADELPHIA 0 TOP, 7TH
    DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.295, 1-FOR-4)

    Orioles 3, Phillies 0  Top 7, 0 OutsJun 20 8:57 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    SACRIFICE FLY BY BRIAN ROBERTS SCORED ROBERT ANDINO.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 2
    PHILADELPHIA 0 TOP, 6TH
    DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.293, 0-FOR-3)

    Orioles 2, Phillies 0  Top 6, 0 OutsJun 20 8:31 PM
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    RUWTbot Added 38 roots

    Orioles 1, Phillies 0  Bot 5, 0 OutsJun 20 8:20 PM


  • ML
    AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY AUBREY HUFF SCORED ADAM JONES.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A HUFF ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 1
    PHILADELPHIA 0 TOP, 5TH
    DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: T WIGGINTON (.240, 0-FOR-1, BB)

    Orioles 1, Phillies 0  Top 5, 0 OutsJun 20 8:13 PM