FORT MYERS, Fla. - Chris Tillman was charged with one run today, and it scored after he left the game, but his command was shaky in his third spring outing.
Tillman allowed four hits, walked two and struck out one in 3 1/3 innings. He threw 51 pitches, 28 for strikes.
His pitch count was elevated in part because of his throwing error in the first inning after fielding Denard Span's tapper, and a fly ball from Luke Hughes in the second inning that dropped between left fielder Wilson Betemit...
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter brought a cheat sheet with him for today's pregame media session in the visiting dugout at Hammond Stadium.
There wasn't enough room on his arm.
Showalter was nice enough to give reporters the pitching and playing schedules of the guys we'd find most interesting.
For instance:
Jake Arrieta threw a bullpen session today and will go four innings in Monday's minor league game at Twin Lakes Park. (That's the "off-day" on our spring training...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles reliever Kevin Gregg hasn't pitched since last Sunday's B game, when he threw one inning and gave up a home run, but he'll take the mound Saturday against the Red Sox in Sarasota.
The Orioles have split-squad games that day, but he'll avoid the trip to Fort Myers.
Gregg insists that he's fine physically, though he's only appeared in two Grapefruit League games. He threw in the bullpen yesterday while the Orioles traveled to Lakeland.
"I'm getting off the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman and Dana Eveland take the mound today, though not at the same time, when the Orioles travel to Fort Myers to play the Minnesota Twins.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
Wilson Betemit LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Chris Davis 1B
Adam Jones CF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Ronny Paulino DH
Jai Miller RF
John Hester C
Chris Tillman RHP
SARASOTA, Fla. - If you haven't seen Brad Bergesen pitch in a while, you're going to notice a change in his delivery. My older readers might be reminded of Luis Tiant.
Bergesen is reminded of the way he used to throw.
Bergesen has added a twist that momentarily leaves his back turned to the hitter. It's an element of deception that makes it a little harder for the batters to pick up the ball.
In three appearances this spring, Bergesen has allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings....
LAKELAND, Fla. - Miguel Socolovich came out of today's game against the Tigers with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning because of tightness in his groin.
Jon Link allowed all three inherited runners to score, and Socolovich was charged with the loss.
"He wanted to continue, but we're not going to take the chance," manager Buck Showalter said after a 4-2 loss. "We had enough pitchers we brought with us."
Socolovich joins the groin gang in camp. They'll eventually rumble...
LAKELAND, Fla. - The Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after Brian Matusz left the game, and they tacked on another run in the seventh to increase their lead to 4-2 over the Orioles at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Detroit loaded the bases with one out against Miguel Socolovich, and he was removed for Jon Link. Socolovich walked into the clubhouse with assistant athletic trainer Brian Ebel while reporters were interviewing Matusz.
Chris Davis committed his second error...
LAKELAND, Fla. - Left-hander Brian Matusz tamed an impressive Tigers lineup this afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Matusz blanked the Tigers on two hits, walked none, struck out six and hit a batter in four innings. He threw 60 pitches, 41 for strikes.
Matusz's fastball was 92-93 mph on the stadium radar gun. He hit 93 mph four times in the third inning, when he retired the side in order and struck out Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson. He fanned Prince Fielder and Alex Avila in the...
LAKELAND, Fla. - The Orioles have reduced their camp roster to 47 players by optioning pitcher Oliver Drake (Navy) to Double-A Bowie.
Catcher Caleb Joseph has been informed that he'll be reassigned to minor league camp, but he's likely to stay with the team through the weekend.
Drake and Joseph are here for today's game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Orioles are keeping tabs on the catching situations in other camps, gauging who might become available, but manager Buck Showalter seems...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Catcher Taylor Teagarden received an epidural yesterday to alleviate the pain in his lower back after a CT scan revealed a slightly torn ligament that supports a disk. Now he must wait a few weeks and wonder whether he can be ready for the April 6 opener.
"I'm not really sure what the timeframe is," he said. "It's not as serious, ... it could have been worse, but it's going to take a little more time to heal. I've just got to play each day by day and see how it...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are headed to Lakeland today to play the Detroit Tigers, with left-hander Brian Matusz looking to build on his impressive outing against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Ronny Paulino, suddently the favorite to be the backup catcher on opening day, gets his first start behind the plate.
For the Orioles:
Endy Chavez CF
Nolan Reimold LF
Nick Johnson DH
Chris Davis 1B
Wilson Betemit 3B
Ronny Paulino C
Ryan Flaherty SS
Jai Miller RF
Matt Antonelli 2B
Brian Matusz...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles lost to the Pirates today, 11-5, but nobody sang "We Are Family." The day wasn't a total bust.
The Orioles will make two or three more cuts later this afternoon.
"Nothing earth-shattering," manager Buck Showalter said. "Just another note. Nobody that would surprise you."
Alfredo Simon's schedule is being altered a bit because of some groin tightness.
Kevin Gregg hasn't pitched since Sunday's B game, but manager Buck Showalter said it isn't a health...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Matt Lindstrom, pitching for the first time in a week after suffering from lower-back stiffness, struck out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth inning.
Willie Eyre, making his spring debut after being sidelined with a groin injury, was charged with four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Casey Fossum replaced him and recorded the final out on a fly ball.
Robert Andino committed an error behind Eyre when he fell backward after fielding a sharp bouncer....
SARASOTA, Fla. - I have to assume that the initial plan called for Orioles starter Jake Arrieta to go three innings today, but he exited with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the third.
Arrieta threw 44 pitches, 29 for strikes, and manager Buck Showalter didn't want to push him any further.
Arrieta is charged with four runs and five hits, all of them coming in the second inning. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four.
The Pirates strung together three singles and a double to...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Tsuyoshi Wada threw 33 pitches in a two-inning simulated game on the Camden Yards field. Jai Miller, Scott Beerer and Brady Anderson took some swings against him.
The next step for Wada is pitching in a real game Sunday or Monday. Most likely, he will be used in Monday's minor league game at Twin Lakes Park, which also will include Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta.
"He was real good," said pitching coach Rick Adair, who monitored Wada's outing along with manager Buck...
SARASOTA, Fla. - A CT scan on catcher Taylor Teagarden's lower back revealed a slight tear in a ligament that supports a disk.
Teagarden received an epidural this morning to reduce the inflammation. He'll mostly be shut down for a week, though he could begin hydrotherapy in three days.
The recovery time for Teagarden's injury is roughly three weeks.
Asked if Teagarden will be ready for opening day, manager Buck Showalter replied, "It could happen but I'd say it's in jeopardy."
Ronny...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Managers always issue the same warning about not falling in love with spring training numbers, but it's pretty easy to crush on Jai Miller.
Miller leads the Orioles with seven RBIs, two more than Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty. He's batting .333 and is one of only three players on the team with a home run (Chris Davis and Flaherty are the others.)
"I definitely feel good," Miller said. "I've been having good ABs, been making good contact. It's just one of those things where...
SARASOTA, Fla. - If you want to see a reliever with a look of relief on his face, check out Willie Eyre today.
Eyre was given quite a scare yesterday when informed that his 3-year-old daughter, Lily, had fallen into a hotel pool and was being rushed to a local hospital. Eyre was told during warmups to call his wife, and she gave him the news.
"Everything kind of stopped for me. It was surreal," he said this morning.
"I got to the hospital and, I won't say she was hysterical, but she was...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nick Markakis will make his spring debut today against the Pittsburgh Pirates, serving as the designated hitter and batting third.
For the Orioles:
Endy Chavez RF
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis DH
Matt Wieters C
Adam Jones CF
Nick Johnson 1B
Mark Reynolds 3B
Nolan Reimold LF
Robert Andino 2B
Jake Arrieta RHP
Jim Johnson, Willie Eyre, Luis Ayala and Kevin Gregg also are scheduled to pitch for the Orioles.
Tsuyoshi Wada will throw a simulated game at 11:15 a.m.
SARASOTA, Fla. - I'm relieved to pass along news regarding the 3-year-old daughter of Orioles reliever Willie Eyre.
Reporters were told following today's game that Eyre was pulled off the field during warmups and informed that Lily had fallen into a pool and was found by her mother. She apparently did not lose consciousness and was rushed to a local hospital, and X-rays taken on her lungs were negative.
Everything is fine, and she's already back with her family.
Manager Buck Showalter...