O's Continue Losing Ways While A's Just Walk Away
Athletics 11, Orioles 2
Orioles manager Dave Trembley smiles before the start of Baltimore's game against the Oakland Athletics. Trembley will be back through at least the 2009 season.
(Gail Burton - AP)
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Saturday, September 6, 2008; Page E05
BALTIMORE, Sept. 5 -- Last season, on the same day that then-interim manager Dave Trembley signed a contract to keep him with the Baltimore Orioles, his team absorbed an infamous 27-run blowout loss to the Texas Rangers.
"Certain parts of that day I'd like to remember forever, and there's certain parts of that day that I'd just as soon forget," Trembley said.
On Friday, the Orioles exercised an option to keep Trembley under contract through next season. But just as they did last year, they gave the manager an evening to forget.
Baltimore fell, 11-2, to the Oakland Athletics in an ugly loss that was spearheaded by his team's latest pitching implosion. Oakland snapped a four-game losing streak while extending the Orioles' losing streak to a season-high seven games.
With Tropical Storm Hanna threatening to wipe out Saturday's doubleheader, the teams played on before 14,984 at a soggy Oriole Park at Camden Yards despite a rain that started falling in the fifth. But the showers were hardly the most troublesome element of the evening.
The Orioles bullpen held that distinction.
Baltimore relievers Brian Bass, Brian Burres and Kam Mickolio combined to walk in five runs, giving the A's the go-ahead run in the sixth inning in addition to four insurance runs in the eighth.
With that, the Orioles' beleaguered pitching staff endured another lowlight, helping the Athletics put away the game without even having to swing the bat.
"That was a good game for a while," Trembley said. "It got away from us. We didn't throw it over the plate, and to be honest with you, I've never seen anything like that ever."
The game was actually competitive entering the sixth inning, with the score tied at 2 and Orioles starter Chris Waters looking like he might give Baltimore its first quality start since Aug. 25.
Through the first four innings, Waters had allowed only two balls to leave the infield. And even after a tough fifth, he kept the damage to two runs.
But in the sixth, Emil Brown singled and Jack Cust walked to start the inning. Waters then walked Daric Barton to load the bases.
