Cortes still making his pitch for rotation spot

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles clubhouse didn't have many occupants this morning with most of the team headed to Jupiter for today's game against the Cardinals.

Chris Tillman and Brad Brach played table tennis, and Richard Bleier and Joely Rodriguez had the next game. Chris Davis made a brief appearance at his locker, but not long enough for two reporters to reach him. Andrew Cashner headed out to the field to play catch with Bleier.

Zach Britton, Dylan Bundy, Donnie Hart, Mychal Givens, Mike Wright Jr. and Miguel Castro sat at their lockers before the workout and Darren O'Day walked back in shortly before 10 a.m. to finish getting dressed. Josh Edgin accepted more congratulations on the birth of his son. Rule 5 picks Pedro Araujo and Nestor Cortes Jr. also remained in Sarasota, the latter working 3 1/3 scoreless innings yesterday in relief.

Cortes allowed one hit and struck out four Yankees, including Aaron Judge after the slugger got ahead 3-1 in the count. Cortes sneaked two low-90s fastballs past him.

Still in the thick of the fifth starter competition, Cortes needed a positive outing after allowing three runs and six hits over three innings in Dunedin.

"I prepared the same, did everything I could do prior to the outing," he said. "It was just one of those days when everything was working. Like I said before, the outing that wasn't so good, I just left balls over the plate and yesterday I think I managed to let them hit the pitch I wanted them to hit."

Cortes didn't let his emotions get in the way yesterday, facing the team that exposed him in the Rule 5 draft.

"It was definitely that factor where you want to prove that what they didn't see in me ... and obviously yesterday was one of those days," he said. "But it felt like any other day when I was pitching out there. Just trying to do me and same thing as always."

Judge struck out against Cortes leading off the fifth inning. Cortes could have used a slingshot. It would have seemed appropriate.

"It was just one of those things," he said. "I know my fastball isn't hard enough, but it plays up to the speed, so maybe I got lucky."

Cortes will need more results if he's going to beat out Wright and Castro for a rotation spot, and Showalter is giving him the ball again.

"The next couple are just as important as the first one," he said. "I think I still have to prove myself and let everybody know that I can pitch like always. I'm not thinking about the results after spring training, whether I'm going to Baltimore or whether I'm going back to New York. I know that I'm going to give it my best here and hope that I can make a statement and help the club out."

The bullpen is another option for Cortes, who's allowed five runs and 12 hits in 10 1/3 innings, but he's still focused on the rotation.

"I feel like I'm still in the competition," he said. "Mike Wright has done a great job. Castro has gone out there and competed. We're all doing the same thing. We're all going out there and trying to compete and that's the beauty of it.

"You're fighting for a fifth spot, but you're also fighting for being on the club, so whatever comes my way I'm going to take it."

If Cortes winds up on the bullpen, it could have a direct impact on left-handed relievers Rodriguez, Edgin and Hart. Manager Buck Showalter hasn't revealed how many southpaws he intends to keep while Britton is on the 60-day disabled list. Bleier is a certainly, of course.

Showalter would like to include a power lefty, which works in Rodriguez's favor, but he may not have the luxury. Rodriguez struck out two batters yesterday to strand two runners and earn the save, and he hasn't surrendered a run in 5 1/3 innings. He's walked only one and struck out five.

MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski is on the East Coast and will report on today's game.