Davis gone, Britton in line for win (updated)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

April 03, 2011, 11:35am

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh, and they're still batting. Cesar Ramos replaced starter Wade Davis after J.J. Hardy lined a two-run double into the left field corner. Matt Wieters led off with his second hit - yes, it was a good idea to bat him fifth - and Adam Jones followed with a single. Mark Reynolds doubled to break the tie and collect his first RBI as an Oriole. Felix Pie bounced to short against a drawn-in infield, but Hardy pulled the ball between third baseman Sean Rodriguez and the bag to bring in two more runs. Jason Berken was warming up before the inning. He sat down, which led us to believe that Zach Britton would return for the bottom of the seventh. However, Berken is throwing again. Britton has allowed one run and three hits, with three walks and six strikeouts. He's thrown 96 pitches, 58 for strikes. That should be enough for his major league debut. Britton's fastball has topped out at 95 mph. He's thrown first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 23 batters he's faced. Instant update: Berken has replaced Britton, so the above line is complete.