Erik Bedard pitched the game of his career Saturday night, a two hitter in which he tied the franchise record with fifteen strikeouts. He didn't fade, either, striking out the side in the ninth inning. The night ended with Bedard picking up his first complete game and shutout in his 102nd start. The manager was impressed:

"I haven't seen anything like that," interim manager Dave Trembley said. "It was just strike one, one right after another. He just kept repeating. He didn't walk anybody. I don't know how many three-ball counts he had, maybe one. By the fifth inning, you obviously felt one [run] was going to be enough. That's all he needed.

"I don't know how anybody could ever criticize Erik Bedard if you know what Erik Bedard is all about," Trembley continued. "I just think he's underappreciated if anything because a lot of people misread his aloofness as not caring. That's the furthest thing from the truth. The guy is not like that. This guy has a chance to rank right up there with all the great left-handed pitchers that the Orioles have run out there over the years."

The Orioles only scored three runs, so Bedard needed to pitch well to win. With two double plays, he faced only 27 batters. And, as Trembley alludes, he was efficient, using just 109 pitches to complete the game. Bedard and Guthrie are giving the Orioles a nice base on which to build a great pitching staff.