Matusz focused on rhythm, not results

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz made some adjustments in his delivery today after working with pitching coach Mark Connor. "The results, not happy about the results, but I'm really happy about the process," he said after being charged with three runs (two earned) in 3 1/3 innings. "I feel like I'm making some adjustments that I need to, and I'm excited to sit down with Goose (Connor), look at the video for this game, kind of see where I need to be mechanically. I feel like I wasn't fully in my groove the whole time, and that's OK. I'm excited for this work week, though. "I've been working with Goose on when my knee comes up, just trying to break my hands at the same time to keep it in rhythm. It felt like my arm was dragging a little bit today at times, and it has in the past. It takes all the sharpness away from your pitches, so that's the thing I've been working on. It's one thing to know what you are doing right, it's another thing about feeling it. You want to be able to feel it, so when you go to the mound you don't have to think about it at all. "For me, I'm just trying to get into that feel, that groove on the mound, which is OK. It's just spring, just working on stuff, which is just fine. But I feel like I'm on track to get myself for the season where I don't have to think about things. It's just natural, it's a process. It's good, though." Matusz approached Connor before this start and told him that "things just don't feel right. I don't feel like I'm in rhythm." "We sat down and talked about some things before my last bullpen, before this outing," Matusz said. "It felt perfect. It was one of the best bullpen sides I've thrown. I was just working on that, working with Goose to get in that rhythm. Like I said, today I was just thinking about it a little too much." Matusz couldn't complete four innings with his pitch count at 65, but he said stamina wasn't an issue. "Little bit of a longer first inning than I wanted, but I was happy to be able to go out to the mound four times," he said. "Stamina's fine. I was working on things today, just trying to get in that rhythm." Matusz said his left middle finger is "a non-issue." The Tigers lead the Orioles, 8-1, in the sixth inning after scoring twice off reliever David Riske. They're outhitting the Orioles, 14-3. In response to a reader's question from earlier today, fans are allowed inside the ballpark two hours before every game. Today's attendance: 8,002. It's another sellout.