Post by Fish Troll on Apr 2, 2007 22:57:39 GMT -5
Bedard hit hard in loss at Metrodome
O's starter gives up six earned runs; Tejada goes deep
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- The first back-to-back ended Erik Bedard's shutout, but the second one ended his night. Bedard ran into trouble twice against the power-hitting tandem of Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter on Opening Day, with the two Minnesota stars accounting for two runs and four RBIs in the Twins' 7-4 win over Baltimore.
Morneau and Hunter drilled back-to-back homers in the second inning and back-to-back RBI hits off the baggie in right field in Minnesota's three-run fifth inning. Those were the bold-faced hits in a rough night at the office for Bedard, who had allowed just five earned runs in the entire Grapefruit League schedule.
The southpaw allowed more than that in his brief outing Monday, which ended in the fifth inning. Bedard gave up 10 hits and six earned runs to the Twins, and four of those hits went for extra bases.
"I threw some good pitches and I threw some bad pitches. They hit both," said Bedard. "It was working sometimes and it wasn't working at other times. I can't really figure it out."
"He kind of lost command, but that happens," said catcher Paul Bako. "He was basically lights-out for all of Spring Training. Unfortunately, he was probably due for an outing where he didn't have his command throughout the ballgame. But he's our ace. He knows that and we know that. We expect him to come out next time and pitch like he can."
Bedard cruised through the first inning, but Minnesota's power hitters got on the board in the second. Morneau, the American League's reigning Most Valuable Player, broke the scoreless tie with a shot over the wall in left-center. One pitch later, Hunter drilled a ball over the baggie and over the lower seating section in right field.
Those consecutive pitches made history, as no other pair of Twins had ever homered back-to-back on Opening Day. Baltimore broke back in the fourth inning, though, by scoring three runs off Minnesota starter Johan Santana. Aubrey Huff, Jay Gibbons and Corey Patterson all had run-scoring doubles in that rally.
"I thought we were going to get it when we went [ahead] 3-2," said Baltimore third baseman Melvin Mora. "I thought we had it, but they came back and kept on supporting [Santana]. He started to throw more changeups and locate some more pitches. He was able to hold on right there."
Santana held on, and his offense took over. Morneau was right in the middle of the game-tying rally in the fourth inning, but he didn't help break things open until the fifth. Morneau singled in the fourth and was involved in a collision at the plate, a play that bloodied Bako's chin and sent Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo into contingency mode.
Bako was starting in place of injured regular Ramon Hernandez, who is sidelined by a strained left oblique and isn't expected to play until the Orioles reach New York. If Bako hadn't been able to continue, the O's would've turned to backup Alberto Castillo. When asked if he'd had his bell rung on the play, Bako issued a telling quip.
"You tell me -- the guy's 6-5 and 240," he said, a dab of blood still bright on his chin. "It was just a Major League collision. It's just part of the game. Being a catcher, it comes with the territory."
"I knew when he looked up and said, 'Come on out,'" Perlozzo said. "I thought the helmet or something got wedged in there on him. We'll check him out tonight. He should be OK."
Bako was OK, but Bedard was ripe for the picking. The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, and the tie-breaking run scored on a high-and-inside passed ball with Morneau at the plate. A moment or two later, the first baseman gave the Twins an insurance run with a ball hit hard off the baggie in right field.
The slugger was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double, but Hunter kept the inning alive with another hard hit off the right-field wall. That was the end of the night for Bedard, who is now 0-4 in five career starts against the Twins, and Morneau improved to 8-for-12 off his Canadian countryman.
"I don't know what it is. It's just one of those hitters I can't get out," Bedard said. "It didn't matter what pitch I threw."
"He's a good hitter. There's no question about it," Perlozzo said. "He doesn't get his accolades for nothing. You've got to be careful pitching to him. That's just the way it is. Big hitters are like that."
Santana left with a three-run lead after six innings, and the Twins handed the ball to their capable relief staff. Shortstop Miguel Tejada, who played in his 1,081st consecutive game, homered to left-center field in the sixth inning. Santana struck out six batters and won his 17th straight decision at the Metrodome, a streak that goes back to 2005.
Three Minnesota relievers -- Dennys Reyes, Jesse Crain and Juan Rincon -- combined to throw two scoreless innings. Closer Joe Nathan pitched the ninth and walked one batter but escaped without allowing a run. Baltimore fell to 34-20 on Opening Day and snapped a six-season streak of season-opening victories.
"We played pretty good," Perlozzo said. "We swung the bats a little bit against them and made a game of it. It just got away from us. The guys played hard. We just came up short."
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
O's starter gives up six earned runs; Tejada goes deep
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- The first back-to-back ended Erik Bedard's shutout, but the second one ended his night. Bedard ran into trouble twice against the power-hitting tandem of Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter on Opening Day, with the two Minnesota stars accounting for two runs and four RBIs in the Twins' 7-4 win over Baltimore.
Morneau and Hunter drilled back-to-back homers in the second inning and back-to-back RBI hits off the baggie in right field in Minnesota's three-run fifth inning. Those were the bold-faced hits in a rough night at the office for Bedard, who had allowed just five earned runs in the entire Grapefruit League schedule.
The southpaw allowed more than that in his brief outing Monday, which ended in the fifth inning. Bedard gave up 10 hits and six earned runs to the Twins, and four of those hits went for extra bases.
"I threw some good pitches and I threw some bad pitches. They hit both," said Bedard. "It was working sometimes and it wasn't working at other times. I can't really figure it out."
"He kind of lost command, but that happens," said catcher Paul Bako. "He was basically lights-out for all of Spring Training. Unfortunately, he was probably due for an outing where he didn't have his command throughout the ballgame. But he's our ace. He knows that and we know that. We expect him to come out next time and pitch like he can."
Bedard cruised through the first inning, but Minnesota's power hitters got on the board in the second. Morneau, the American League's reigning Most Valuable Player, broke the scoreless tie with a shot over the wall in left-center. One pitch later, Hunter drilled a ball over the baggie and over the lower seating section in right field.
Those consecutive pitches made history, as no other pair of Twins had ever homered back-to-back on Opening Day. Baltimore broke back in the fourth inning, though, by scoring three runs off Minnesota starter Johan Santana. Aubrey Huff, Jay Gibbons and Corey Patterson all had run-scoring doubles in that rally.
"I thought we were going to get it when we went [ahead] 3-2," said Baltimore third baseman Melvin Mora. "I thought we had it, but they came back and kept on supporting [Santana]. He started to throw more changeups and locate some more pitches. He was able to hold on right there."
Santana held on, and his offense took over. Morneau was right in the middle of the game-tying rally in the fourth inning, but he didn't help break things open until the fifth. Morneau singled in the fourth and was involved in a collision at the plate, a play that bloodied Bako's chin and sent Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo into contingency mode.
Bako was starting in place of injured regular Ramon Hernandez, who is sidelined by a strained left oblique and isn't expected to play until the Orioles reach New York. If Bako hadn't been able to continue, the O's would've turned to backup Alberto Castillo. When asked if he'd had his bell rung on the play, Bako issued a telling quip.
"You tell me -- the guy's 6-5 and 240," he said, a dab of blood still bright on his chin. "It was just a Major League collision. It's just part of the game. Being a catcher, it comes with the territory."
"I knew when he looked up and said, 'Come on out,'" Perlozzo said. "I thought the helmet or something got wedged in there on him. We'll check him out tonight. He should be OK."
Bako was OK, but Bedard was ripe for the picking. The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, and the tie-breaking run scored on a high-and-inside passed ball with Morneau at the plate. A moment or two later, the first baseman gave the Twins an insurance run with a ball hit hard off the baggie in right field.
The slugger was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double, but Hunter kept the inning alive with another hard hit off the right-field wall. That was the end of the night for Bedard, who is now 0-4 in five career starts against the Twins, and Morneau improved to 8-for-12 off his Canadian countryman.
"I don't know what it is. It's just one of those hitters I can't get out," Bedard said. "It didn't matter what pitch I threw."
"He's a good hitter. There's no question about it," Perlozzo said. "He doesn't get his accolades for nothing. You've got to be careful pitching to him. That's just the way it is. Big hitters are like that."
Santana left with a three-run lead after six innings, and the Twins handed the ball to their capable relief staff. Shortstop Miguel Tejada, who played in his 1,081st consecutive game, homered to left-center field in the sixth inning. Santana struck out six batters and won his 17th straight decision at the Metrodome, a streak that goes back to 2005.
Three Minnesota relievers -- Dennys Reyes, Jesse Crain and Juan Rincon -- combined to throw two scoreless innings. Closer Joe Nathan pitched the ninth and walked one batter but escaped without allowing a run. Baltimore fell to 34-20 on Opening Day and snapped a six-season streak of season-opening victories.
"We played pretty good," Perlozzo said. "We swung the bats a little bit against them and made a game of it. It just got away from us. The guys played hard. We just came up short."
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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