Tribe falls to Orioles again

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Brad Bergesen became the latest Bird to win under Buck Showalter.

Bergesen pitched a two-hitter for his first victory in nearly three months and the surging Orioles beat the Cleveland Indians 3-1 Wednesday night.

“He was outstanding,” said Showalter, now 8-1 as the Orioles’ new manager after their fourth win in a row.

Bergesen (4-9) held the Indians hitless until Luis Valbuena singled with two outs in the fifth inning. He retired 12 in a row before Asdrubal Cabrera singled with two outs in the ninth.

Showalter thought about going to the bullpen, but decided Bergesen earned the chance to face Cleveland’s best hitter, Shin-Soo Choo.

“He was a bloop and a blast away from a tie game for a few innings,” Showalter said. “It was a tough matchup, but he got him, too.”

Bergesen retired Choo on a routine fly ball to center, completing the best outing by an Orioles starter in Cleveland in 40 years.

It was the fewest hits the Indians got at home against a Baltimore starter since Tom Phoebus’ two-hit, 13-1 win on April 9, 1970.

“We couldn’t do anything offensively. That was the game,” Indians manager Manny Acta said.

Baltimore backed Bergesen with 13 hits and he won for the first time in 13 starts. He had gone 0-7 with a 6.65 ERA and was sent to the minors for two weeks in June since his last win for the Orioles, on May 12 against Seattle.

“I don’t dwell on that,” Showalter said. “He showed tonight what he is capable of doing at this level.”

Bergesen walked two and struck out four. The righty got through the seventh and eighth on 15 pitches.

“We’re not a team that who will be looking at those guys like the worst team in baseball,” Acta said. “We’re not the New York Yankees ourselves.”