Bergesen, Wigginton help Orioles blank Twins

Baseball Betting Lines

05/06/2010 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brad Bergesen pitched 6 2/3 scoreless frames, and Ty Wigginton's two-run homer accounted for all the scoring, as the Baltimore Orioles opened up a four-game set at Target Field with a 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Bergesen (2-2) allowed six hits and two walks in his outing, by far his best of the season. The 24-year-old had been sent to the minors after his early season struggles, failing to get out of the fifth inning in each of his first three starts.

He has now completed five innings in two consecutive starts since being recalled -- both wins -- as Baltimore recovered after being swept by the Yankees earlier this week.

"Today felt really good," Bergesen said. "I was able to get into a nice rhythm today. My previous start -- the last one was okay, the previous ones I haven't been my normal self. Today, to be able to get back to that, felt really good.

Wigginton finished with two hits, as did Miguel Tejada for the Orioles in the win, only Baltimore's eighth of the season (8-21). Alfredo Simon worked the ninth for his third save.

Denard Span had two of Minnesota's six hits, as the Twins had their four-game win streak snapped. Carl Pavano (3-3) took the hard-luck loss for the second straight start after giving up only two runs, six hits and three walks while fanning eight in eight innings.

Pavano went the distance -- eight innings -- in his previous start, a 3-0 loss to Detroit.

"(The Orioles) go out there and swing the bat. They've always done that," Pavano said. "I think when they know we're coming after them with strikes, trying to keep the strikes at good quality, I think it works in our favor. If we throw quality strikes, we're going to get outs."

After a scoreless first, Tejada began the second with an infield single and scored on Wigginton's 10th homer of the season.

Meanwhile, Bergesen shut down the Twins' offense. He was forced to get out of a jam in the third, when Minnesota loaded the bases with two outs. Michael Cuddyer, however, flied out to center.

Bergesen allowed one or fewer baserunners in four of the first six innings before using some help to get out of the seventh unscathed.

The first two Minnesota batters were retired, but Span singled, Orlando Hudson reached on an error and Will Ohman walked Justin Morneau to load the bases. Ohman recovered, however, by striking out Jim Thome to end the inning.

Koji Uehara, reinstated from the disabled list on Thursday, pitched a perfect eighth, and Simon ended the game with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Game Notes

Twins catcher Joe Mauer (heel) missed his sixth straight game, and shortstop J.J. Hardy (wrist) missed his second consecutive contest...Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones (hip) returned after a one-game absence and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts...The Twins had a streak of six consecutive games with multiple runs in the first inning snapped...The Orioles improved to just 2-17 when scoring three or fewer runs...Baltimore went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, and it is now 0-for-18 in its last four games combined.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.