Tampa Bay came into Balitmore having lost 11 games straight. So much for that.
Baltimore came in having won two of their last three. Now they've lost two straight.
There's simply no way to build much drama for a Tuesday night game in September between an Orioles team trying to avoid 100 losses and a Tampa Bay team that doomed its thin playoff hopes with a two-week-long losing skid. But there are some items of interest to watch in this game.
Tampa Bay starts Jeff Neimann, who quietly, if not anonymously, has won 12 games with an ERA under 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.28 He's actually pretty good, and has been the one pitcher in the last month the Rays could count on.
Baltimore starts Jason Berken, who's 4-11 record is almost the evil inverse of Neimann's. His ERA of 6.02 is ugly, as is his WHIP of 1.71. He's gone 5.1 IP his last two outings, but the last one was an odd case. Yes, he had served up 8 hits, but only 1 ER and was at only 85 pitches. So, even if Jason Berken does well tonight, don't look for him to get out of the 6th. -duck