Guthrie: No run support, no excuses

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have scored in one of their last 23 innings. Naturally, it didn't happen tonight with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound. You should have it all memorized by now. The Orioles haven't scored in five of Guthrie's last seven starts while he's been in the game. They've totaled six runs in his last seven starts while he's been on the mound. It's nothing personal. It's nothing they can control. It just keeps happening.
"It's easy to focus," Guthrie said. "I'm a competitor and I want to go out there and pitch as well I can, so it doesn't factor in. I just go out there and try to do the best I can, and today was much better. We were in the game throughout and always within striking distance. "I thought the guys had some good at-bats and we had a few chances. That's what you ask for. Hopefully, we can keep playing well as a team." Guthrie was sunk after Matt Joyce hit the two-run homer in the second inning. It must be tough to have such a slim margin of error. "I wouldn't say it's tough," Guthrie replied. "You just go out there and understand it's going to be an uphill battle at that point and just try to limit the runs from there on. I always have that goal of hopefully holding them scoreless until we score and it just hasn't worked out the past few starts and I've put our offense in a hole and it's been tough trying to come back." Catcher Matt Wieters called for a fastball inside to Joyce. "I threw it low and inside and he hit it," Guthrie said. "He put a really good swing on it. But I watched the replay a couple of times and the glove doesn't move. I threw it where I was aiming and at the end of the day you say it maybe wasn't the right pitch or maybe he is just going that well that he can drop the head on it." Guthrie accomplished his goals tonight - well, except for the winning part. "I wanted to get deep in the game, I wanted to throw the ball down more consistent in the zone. I think I was able to do that much, much better than I have the past few starts," he said. Those were the two things I was really focusing on. I'm pleased I was able to do those things, at least. We ran into a guy (Jeremy Hellickson) that threw a tremendous game and you tip your cap to Jeremy and the way he threw it today."