NEW YORK - -Most of the Orioles got to Yankee Stadium early Tuesday to check out the new ballpark that they had heard plenty about but had never seen in person. Their true indoctrination to the place, however, wouldn't come until hours later when the New York Yankees scored seven times in the seventh inning to send the crowd into a frenzy and turn a one-run game into a rout.
The Orioles, who had absorbed plenty of lopsided innings at the old ballpark across the street, got their first taste of the new Yankee Stadium and it was enough to make their stomachs turn. Their 9-1 defeat Tuesday night before an announced 42,838 marred an encouraging outing by rookie Brad Bergesen and featured just three Orioles hits, a couple of defensive miscues and one dreadful seventh inning for the visiting team.
The result was the Yankees' seventh straight victory, which sent the Orioles to a season-worst-tying seven games under .500 at 16-23.
"We played well up until [the seventh], but you know [that] you're facing a team that has put together some wins in a row," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "Obviously, the way things are going right now, they're going to take advantage of the opportunities they had. You give them a little crack and they really opened it up. You can't do that."
For six innings, Bergesen, making just his sixth career start, dueled gamely with Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who overpowered the Orioles for the second time this month, allowing just a run and three hits over seven innings. Bergesen retired 13 straight Yankees after surrendering a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez in the first inning on what he described as a belt-high fastball.
With his team's deficit still at 2-1, Bergesen got into trouble in the sixth but gained some redemption by retiring Rodriguez with two men on to end the inning.
Trembley sent Bergesen back out for the seventh with his pitch count at 93, and things turned ugly. "I thought he deserved a chance to try and win the game," Trembley said. "He pitched with a lot of class tonight."
Bergesen (1-2) got a quick first out in the seventh, becoming the first Orioles starter in two weeks to get an out in that inning. However, he then walked two straight Yankees before being lifted in favor of Chris Ray. Both runners he left came around to score and then some.
