=== Baltimore Orioles Team Report - June 29 ===

(My Sportsbook) - Sidney Ponson hopes to end a personal seven-game losing streak tonight when the Baltimore Orioles play the second leg of their four- game set with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium

In his last seven starts, Ponson has been simply terrible, going 0-7 with an 6.85 earned run average. The Aruban righthander's latest setback came on Thursday against the New York Yankees, who roughed him up for four runs - two earned - on seven hits over seven innings, dropping him to 3-10 on the year. With a defeat tonight, Ponson would set a personal worst losing streak of his career. He also lost seven in a row July 17, 2001 to April 21, 2002.

The 27-year-old hurler leads the AL in four dubious categories: hits allowed (135), losses (10), runs allowed (77) and earned runs (70).

Ponson, who has pitched to a 6.22 ERA this season, is 7-4 lifetime against the Royals with a 3.38 ERA in 12 games.

In the opener of the set on Monday, Erik Bedard tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings and David Newhan went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and three runs scored as Baltimore rolled to a 10-1 win.

Miguel Tejada also had three hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Brian Roberts and Javy Lopez each finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, as the Orioles pounded out 13 hits to snap a two-game slide.

Bedard (3-2) yielded just five hits and one walk while striking out three to win his second straight start. The rookie southpaw has allowed just two earned runs in a span of 21 1/3 innings over his last four outings.

On the injury front, Baltimore third baseman Melvin Mora again sat out due to a sprained left foot. Mora has now missed eight of the Orioles' last nine games, but could be back in the lineup this evening.

Tejada extended his season-high hitting streak to 13 games, while Newhan has hit safely in a career-high 10 consecutive games.

Kansas City took four of the seven meetings last season, but has lost 16 of the last 22 matchups, including nine of the last 12 at Kauffman Stadium.

The Orioles will be playing the second leg of a seven-game road trip tonight and are 13-19 outside Camden Yards this season.