SARASOTA, Fla. - Here's the Orioles lineup for today's game against the Pirates:
Randy Winn LF
Felix Pie CF
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Luke Scott 1B
Mark Reynolds 3B
Matt Wieters C
Robert Andino 2B
Cesar Izturis SS
Jake Arrieta RHP
For the Pirates:
Pedro Ciriaco 2B
John Bowker 1B
Andrew McCutchen CF
Pedro Alvarez 3B
Matt Diaz LF
Steve Pearce RF
Josh Rodriguez SS
Jason Jaramillo C
Kevin Correia RHP
A change in Houston's pitching for tomorrow: Aneury Rodriguez will start for the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - No NIT invite for the Terps? There goes my bracket. I already had them winning the whole thing. Obviously, I should have waited.
Loved the Fab Five documentary last night, though I watched it in two parts. Missed the first half of it on ESPN, but caught the replay in ESPN2 immediately afterward and pieced it together in my head.
No wonder I'm tired.
The clubhouse is closed to the media again this morning and won't open until batting practice ends. I'll pass along the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Not much to report on today's 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers beyond what I've already written in previous entries.
Mark Reynolds went 2-for-3 to leave his average at .207.
The Orioles were charged with one error. Manager Buck Showalter thought it easily could have been more.
Did anyone pick Josh Rupe as their spring training dark horse?
Rupe tossed 2 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings today. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 8 2/3 this spring. He gave up two unearned...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles pitcher Justin Duchscherer will undergo an MRI on his left hip this week after being scratched from today's simulated game.
Duchscherer likely will have to wait until Tuesday for the MRI. He'd be a day behind second baseman Brian Roberts, who will have an MRI on his back tomorrow.
Duchscherer threw off flat ground this morning and complained of soreness in the hip. He was examined by the training staff.
The Orioles are paying Duchscherer $700,000 this year, but...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz made some adjustments in his delivery today after working with pitching coach Mark Connor.
"The results, not happy about the results, but I'm really happy about the process," he said after being charged with three runs (two earned) in 3 1/3 innings.
"I feel like I'm making some adjustments that I need to, and I'm excited to sit down with Goose (Connor), look at the video for this game, kind of see where I need to be mechanically. I...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Yes, I went there again.
J.J. Hardy hit his first home run as an Oriole leading off the bottom of the fourth inning. He drove a pitch from Charlie Furbush over the left field fence to reduce Detroit's lead to 4-1.
The Orioles had one hit off Tigers starter Adam Wilk through three innings, a single by Vladimir Guerrero. And if you've never heard of Wilk, you're not alone.
He's a former 11th-round pick who's trying to make the staff as a reliever. He's regarded as a...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander Brian Matusz would like a do-over against the Detroit Tigers.
Matusz threw 33 pitches, 20 for strikes, in the first inning. He's charged with one earned run (two total) and three hits, and he walked a batter.
The Orioles would like to get four innings out of him. That's going to be tricky.
Austin Jackson opened the game with a single and stole second with one out. Ryan Raburn struck out, but Miguel Cabrera doubled to center field for a 1-0 lead. Brandon Ingle...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter is waiting to hear back from his athletic training staff after Justin Duchscherer declined to pitch in the simulated game on the Camden Yards field. Duchscherer alerted the club that he felt some discomfort while throwing off flat ground.
"He just came out here and wasn't able to pitch," Showalter said. "I don't really know where we're at. Richie (Bancells) just said he felt some discomfort and wants to get it looked at. Doesn't feel good...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Justin Duchscherer wasn't able to pitch in today's simulated game because of discomfort in his left hip.
Duchscherer threw on flat ground and said he didn't feel comfortable. The medical staff is checking on him.
The Orioles could go with a four-man rotation early in the season because of the April 5 off-day, giving them more time with Duchscherer.
The simulated game involved a pitcher, batter, catcher and umpire. Nobody else. It gave guys like Jim Johnson and Mark...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles play three straight home games, so I can leave my GPS at the hotel. I've got this route memorized.
The clubhouse was closed to the media in the morning because of meetings. Players are participating in drills on the main field.
Justin Duchscherer is getting ready to pitch in an intrasquad game on one of the back fields. It's the "left-handed game" that manager Buck Showalter organized. Players were brought over from the minor league side, including first...
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Brandon Snyder collected his third hit in the ninth inning, a run-scoring single that completed the Orioles' 6-4 victory over the Houston Astros.
Snyder came within a triple of the cycle while raising his spring average to .360.
Ryan Adams also had three hits and is batting .500 with six RBIs.
"We had some things we wanted him to get adjusted with before he went on the field, and I can see why he has the potential offensively," manager Buck Showalter said. "He has a...
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - We had a long delay in the top of the seventh inning after a woman was hit by a Jake Fox foul ball behind the Astros' bullpen area. She was removed on a stretcher.
Players left the Astros dugout and walked to the railing. Fox eventually returned to the Orioles' dugout and watched from the top step. He struck out once play resumed.
Brandon Snyder homered off Casey Fien leading off the top of the eighth. Orioles 5, Astros 0.
Ryan Adams reached on an infield hit to open the...
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Left-hander Zach Britton extended his spring scoreless innings streak to nine today by shutting out the Houston Astros through the fourth. Chris Tillman replaced him as scheduled.
Britton allowed four hits, walked two and struck out two. By my unofficial count, he threw 57 pitches, including 38 for strikes.
Britton's pace was slow in the first, when he walked Oswaldo Navarro with one out and gave up a single to Carlos Lee. But Jason Michaels grounded into a 6-4-3 double...
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Ryan Adams was in the Orioles' original lineup today as the starting second baseman. Brandon Harris replaced him in the second lineup. Adam was re-inserted in the third lineup.
Good idea to play him today.
Adams gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a double to right field off Houston's J.A. Happ that scored Brandon Snyder, who also doubled. Adams initially slowed up at first before racing to second ahead of the throw.
Robert Andino, batting leadoff,...
KiSSIMMEE, Fla. - Catcher Matt Wieters was excused from making the trip today because of a tender thumb. He could play if this game meant anything. The club is just giving him a break.
Also, first baseman Joe Mahoney was scratched after tweaking his hamstring yesterday on the basepaths.
Infielder Cesar Izturis didn't make the trip because he played yesterday after being sidelined with a sore ankle.
Second baseman Brian Roberts is scheduled to have an MRI on his back later this...
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter didn't post a lineup this morning and we're still waiting for his arrival at Osceola County Stadium.
I'm looking at the travel roster and it doesn't include Cesar Izturis. He isn't making the trip, so forget what I wrote earlier about him starting. Change of plans.
Matt Wieters didn't accompany the team here, either. He's not hurt, but he may be excused from playing today. More on that later.
The Orioles added minor leaguers Xavier Avery, Greg ...
SARASOTA, Fla. - I'm heading over to Kissimmee today for the game against the Astros. I'm told it's not the end of the earth, but you can see it from there.
The Sun's Dan Connolly will handle the driving and the choice of music. It's a small price to pay for the thrill of another exhibition game at a faraway place with the Orioles' lineup expected to be filled by reserves and minor leaguers.
We know that Matt Wieters is serving as the designated hitter today. He could use the at-bats....
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts saw a back specialist today and received a few "trigger point injections," according to manager Buck Showalter. An MRI has been scheduled for tomorrow.
Roberts will be shut down until Tuesday at the earliest. The cortisone is suppose to relax the spasms.
"We're at a stage still in spring training where time is on our side a little bit," Showalter said. "The big thing is identifying it and seeing if we can do something to eliminate it...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Jason Berken needed a good outing today and he got it. He retired all six batters he faced.
The Phillies continue to lead, 8-3, in the eighth inning.
Here are some quotes from Jeremy Guthrie, who was charged with four runs and six hits on a blustery day.
On getting through four innings:
"I've been trying to work quickly, trying to keep the pitch count down and be aggressive. And that's something I've been able to do for the most part in all three of my outings."
On the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-handed specialist Clay Rapada just breezed through the sixth inning, which seemed appropriate on an extremely windy day.
Rapada actually faced two left-handed hitters, striking out Brian Schneider on three pitches and retiring Pete Orr on a one-hopper to the mound.
Four pitches, two outs.
Freddy Galvis flied to left field to end the inning.
Rapada threw 11 pitches, nine for strikes. The one that struck out Schneider was clocked at 74 mph, leading a scribe on press row...