Gonzalez battered, Paredes bruised as Orioles fall behind 7-0

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Miguel Gonzalez made it through the first inning today, but he returned to the dugout with his pitch count at 24 and the Orioles losing 3-0. He was done with one out in the second, the Orioles behind 6-0 and Jimmy Paredes injured after attempting a diving catch.

It hasn't been a good day.

Dariel Alvarez replaced Paredes, who couldn't come up with Logan Forsythe's bloop double near the line. It was the 37th and final pitch from Gonzalez, who allowed eight hits.

Paredes walked to the clubhouse with assistant athletic trainer Brian Ebel, and Chaz Roe replaced Gonzalez. Brandon Guyer delivered a two-out RBI single, a seventh run charged to Gonzalez.

The Rays collected four hits in the first, including a RBI double by former Oriole Steve Pearce. Brad Miller had a leadoff single and scored on Desmond Jennings' double. Jennings came home with one out on the Pearce double to right.

Guyer added an RBI single. Pearce was out at the plate on Taylor Motter's tapper in front of the mound.

Though the numbers look bad, Gonzalez threw 18 of his pitches for strikes in the first and Jennings' RBI double came on a broken-bat blooper down the left field line. Forsythe reached on a fielder's choice grounder, with Paul Janish throwing late to third base on an attempted force.

Gonzalez came back out for the second inning and allowed doubles to Jaff Decker and Jennings that increased the Rays' lead to 4-0. Corey Dickerson hit a long two-run homer to right field, and Gonzalez and Paredes were gone after Forsythe's double.

Twenty-seven of Gonzalez's 37 pitches were strikes. His outing came one day after Ubaldo Jimenez was charged with six runs in one-third of an inning.

Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard, who came from the Rays organization, reached on an infield hit in the top of the first. Tampa Bay starter Erasmo Ramirez needed only six pitches to retire the side in order in the second.

Yovani Gallardo will throw live batting practice on Saturday, one day after Chris Tillman's next bullpen session. They remain on schedule to make their first spring starts on Wednesday and Thursday, the order to be determined.

"I think we'll see them pitch next week where we think they would, where we talked about," said manager Buck Showalter.

Jeff Beliveau threw another bullpen session today in Sarasota as he continues his recovery from April labrum surgery. He's on the Orioles' radar. They think he can help them later in the season.

"He's going good," Showalter said. "I think he's going to throw to some hitters, too."

Hyun Soo Kim is 0-for-7 this spring after striking out in the second inning. The Rays didn't use the shift against him.

Kim will stay back in Sarasota on Friday while the Orioles travel to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays. He's been in left field for the first three games.

"I told him today that I'd just let him work, have a day," Showalter said. "I was talking to him and Danny (Lee) before he went out about, 'Too much, too little? Do you like it?' He said he loved it. He said he'd like to play every game.

"I'm going to give him a little blow tomorrow. He's played a lot of games in a row, but he said this is normal. This is what he does. They play every game, every inning. He said they don't usually come out of the game. This is more what he's used to, but I'm still going to give him a day tomorrow.

"I'm trying to prepare him for what's ahead of him if he makes our club. But everything that I can expose him to, I think the more it helps him. Whether it's playing against Tampa, playing in another ballpark. He's taking up the little nuances about anything, just to give him more of a comfort zone. He likes to play."

Showalter figures the Orioles will continue to learn about Kim long after they break camp.

"Without a doubt," he said. "I figure we'll know about mid-May if he goes north with us and he's playing like we hope he will. There's so many things you just don't know and try to. It's like a guy you call from Triple-A. I'm not saying the KBO is Triple-A, I'm just saying it's a different environment. When guys come up from Triple-A, the biggest challenge is the level of consistency you see.

"My gut would be if he has any problems it would be with the (fastball) velocity. Most of those guys over there have a pretty good breaking ball. I wish I knew for sure. But I'm as curious as you all."

What does Showalter know so far?

"What you see, what your eyes tell you, what you're watching," Showalter said. "I've seen the scouting reports, I've seen the video. It's more about what your eyes tell you and what your experience tells you to not put too much stock in.

"I can tell you by his reaction the other day that they don't shift on him. And I think most teams won't shift on him. He has the ability to hit the ball the other way, change directions when you get into the shift."

We still don't know who's playing right field on opening day. The Orioles could sign Austin Jackson, trade for Jay Bruce, stick with their in-house candidates. It's still a mystery.

"We're still trying to get our arms around where a guy like Mark is, (Mark) Trumbo, and Nolan (Reimold), Alvarez, Rickard. All of them. I don't think we're there yet.

"We've got a lot of outfielders in camp. The playing time's going to start going away here in about 10 days, so we're trying to get as many looks at these guys as we can within the rules of having the right players on the road. How about that rule? I'd love to be in that room when they're talking about it."

Reimold will make his first start in the outfield on Saturday in a split-squad game.

Asked whether the Orioles could make their first round of cuts earlier than usual, Showalter replied, "We haven't had that conversation yet. No, I don't think it'll be any sooner. The first one might be bigger than normal."