Note on Urrutia and game update (rain delay)

BOSTON - Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia has been cleared to play this season. All of his paperwork has been submitted and approved. The Orioles must decide where to assign Urrutia, who remains at extended spring training. Part of the delay is due to a "leg issue," according to manager Buck Showalter. It sounds like a minor ailment, but it's preventing Urrutia from playing. The Orioles wanted Urrutia to play at Double-A Bowie last summer, but he was detained in Haiti while waiting for his work visa. Meanwhile, the Orioles have taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning tonight without the benefit of a hit. Nate McLouth drew a leadoff walk against Boston starter Ryan Dempster, and he moved to third on a two-base error by center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who almost collided with right fielder Shane Victorino while chasing Manny Machado's fly ball. McLouth scored on Nick Markakis' grounder to first baseman Mike Napoli. Markakis has two RBIs in the first eight games. That was it for the Orioles. Adam Jones and Chris Davis struck out to end the inning. Tonight's game is being played in the rain. The forecast didn't lie. Lots of empty seats here. The Red Sox's steak of consecutive sellouts has ended at 794 games. Let us observe a moment of silence. The Red Sox already announced that the streak is over. I guess they're not expecting a big walk-up. Update: Jake Arrieta retired the first five batters, but he walked Daniel Nava with two outs in the second and Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with an RBI double to tie the game. Those two-out walks will get you. Arrieta has thrown 26 pitches in two innings, 16 fewer than Dempster. Ryan Flaherty struck out to end the second, making him 0-for-15. Nolan Reimold popped up to open the third, making Orioles designated hitters 1-for-24. Update II: Arrieta has walked four batters in three innings, including Dustin Pedroia and Napoli back-to-back on eight pitches. He allowed two runs in the third on a leadoff walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. and a triple by Ellsbury. Victorino followed with a sacrifice fly. Arrieta has thrown 48 pitches, 26 for strikes. Arrieta got a big double play grounder from Will Middlebrooks to escape the inning as the bullpen began to stir, and Markakis homered leading off the fourth for the Orioles' first hit of the night. It also was Markakis' first homer of the season. Jones singled to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He's 16-for-32. A wild pitch moved Jones to second, and he scored the tying run on Matt Wieters' single and an error on Bradley, who dropped the ball in left field while attempting to make a throw. No RBI. Flaherty struck out again, making him 0-for-16, and Reimold grounded into a force, making the team's DHs 1-for-25. It's pouring rain here. Update III: The umpiring crew finally decided that it was raining too hard. The tarp is on the field. Arrieta struck out Pedroia to end the bottom of the fifth. That's when umpires halted play. Arrieta has thrown 69 pitches, 39 for strikes. He's allowed three runs and three hits, walked four and struck out two over five innings.