July 30, 2006|By JEFF ZREBIEC | JEFF ZREBIEC,SUN REPORTER
Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo surveyed the scene in the ninth inning Friday night at Camden Yards - a two-run lead and his closer Chris Ray on the mound to protect what promised to be Erik Bedard's eighth straight win - and felt his team was in great shape.
Even after Ray gave up two straight singles to Chicago White Sox pinch hitters to lead off the inning and Perlozzo ordered a one-out intentional walk to slugger Jim Thome to load the bases, the Orioles' manager was confident.
However, what would have been a feel-good win turned into an excruciating loss when unheralded Ross Gload, in the game only because Chicago slugger Paul Konerko fouled a ball off his shin in the fifth inning, sent Ray's full-count pitch over the left-field wall to hand the White Sox a 6-4 victory before 35,382.
White Sox @Orioles Today, 1:35 p.m., Ch. 13, 1090 AM Starters: White Sox's Javier Vazquez (9-6, 5.31) vs. Orioles' Bruce Chen (0-6, 7.09)
