Bergesen, Markakis lead Orioles past White Sox    

[April 22, 2009]  BALTIMORE (AP) -- Brad Bergesen allowed one earned run in his major league debut, Aubrey Huff homered twice and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 10-3 on Tuesday night to end a five-game losing streak.

Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game, Bergesen gave up three runs and four hits in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander struck out five, walked two and hit a batter.

The 23-year-old Bergesen (1-0) outpitched veteran Jose Contreras (0-3), who yielded six runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings. Contreras, 37, has lost each of his three starts this season.

Nick Markakis went 4-for-4 with a walk for Baltimore, and Luke Scott went 3-for-4 with a walk. Huff finished with four RBIs.

Chicago's Carlos Quentin, who leads the majors with seven home runs, was 0-for-3 in his bid to homer in a fourth straight game.

Baltimore trailed 3-2 before taking the lead for good in the fifth. Brian Roberts walked and scored on a double by Markakis, who came home on a two-out single by Scott.

In the sixth, Bergesen retired Jim Thome on a flyball and struck out Jermaine Dye before leaving to a standing ovation.

Bergesen, Baltimore's 2008 minor league pitcher of the year, filled the void in the rotation left by an elbow injury to Alfredo Simon. Before the game, manager Dave Trembley indicated the rookie could be around for a while.

"This is not a tryout, not a one-time deal," Trembley said. "As far as I'm concerned, he's in the rotation."

An RBI double by newcomer Luis Montanez and a run-scoring single by Markakis made it 6-3 in the sixth, Cesar Izturis added a two-run double in the seventh and Huff hit a two-run homer in eighth to spoil Jack Egbert's major league debut.

Following a steady rain that delayed the start of the game for 1 hour, 38 minutes, Bergesen capped a 1-2-3 first inning by striking out Quentin to end a 12-pitch duel.

Bergesen issued a walk in the second inning, then retired the side in order in the third.

Baltimore went ahead 2-0 in the bottom half when Markakis hit a two-out single and Huff drove a 2-0 pitch over the 25-foot scoreboard in right field, the 49th homer in the 18-year history of Camden Yards to land on Eutaw Street.

Chicago pulled even with two unearned runs in the fourth. After a walk and an error by third baseman Ty Wigginton put runners at the corners with one out, Bergesen blew a third strike past Thome. But Dye and Paul Konerko followed with RBI singles.

The White Sox used an RBI double by Alexei Ramirez and a run-scoring grounder by Brian Anderson to go up 3-2 in the fifth.

Notes: Markakis' four hits tied a career high. ... Chicago designated RHP Mike MacDougal for assignment and recalled Egbert from Triple-A Charlotte. ... Baltimore placed OF Ryan Freel (head trauma) on the 15-day DL and recalled Montanez from Triple-A Norfolk. After Adam Jones (hamstring) was a late scratch, Montanez started in LF. ... Baltimore's Gregg Zaun had four hits this season, all of them doubles, before getting a single in the seventh.

[Associated Press; By DAVID GINSBURG]

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