Matusz on today's start (Rays beat Orioles 3-2)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Rays 3, Orioles 2

Recap: The Orioles offense was stagnant again, with the first 14 batters being retired before Manny Machado reached on an error and Delmon Young walked in the fifth inning. Rey Navarro bounced a single up the middle off Steve Geltz leading off the sixth, and he scored on J.J.Hardy's one-out double. Steve Pearce hit his first home run leading off the seventh. Brian Matusz allowed two hits in three scoreless innings, with no walks and three strikeouts. Chaz Roe allowed a run and three hits in the sixth, but Logan Verrett followed with two scoreless innings.

Need to know: Matusz said his command was "a little bit erratic" at the beginning, but he settled down. Navarro's single made him 4-for-12 with a home run this spring. Pearce was 6-for-17 this spring after his home run. Roe has surrendered five runs and nine hits in five innings. Verrett picked off Eugenio Velez at first base. Rays third baseman Taylor Motter robbed Everth Cabrera of an extra-base hit with a diving catch in the eighth inning. David Lough had a single and stolen base in the eighth. Jayson Nix moved from shortstop to second base. Attendance: 8,219 at Ed Smith Stadium, the sixth sellout of the spring

On deck: Sunday, at Pirates in Bradenton, 1:05 p.m. ____________________________________________________

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Tim Berry recovered from a poor fourth inning today to retire the Rays in order in the fifth.

Berry allowed two runs and three hits in the fourth, with one walk and one strikeout.

The first 14 Orioles were retired in order before Manny Machado reached on an error with two outs in the fifth. Delmon Young walked, but the Orioles still don't have a hit.

Rays starter Nathan Karns was perfect through four innings before leaving the game.

Chaz Roe will work the top of the sixth for the Orioles, who didn't announce any cuts before the game. A bunch of them are coming.

Left-hander Brian Matusz tossed three scoreless innings before Berry replaced him.

"At the start, command was a little bit erratic," he said. "I think it was the excitement of starting again and getting out there. There were some nerves and some excitement, but I felt like as the game went on the command got better and the pitches were crisper.

"(Steve) Clevenger was great today. We worked together great today just mixing pitches in and out and keeping hitters off balance."

Matusz hadn't started since last spring, which changed up his normal routine.

"I think it's just the pregame preparation," he said. "That's the only difference. Once you get out there on the mound, it's really the same game. You've still got to make pitches and get hitters out. But for the most part, it was a challenge of finding that pregame preparation.

"I spent time this morning talking to Chris Tillman about his routine and what time he'd go out and play catch and things like that. It was just a matter of relearning on the pregame routine of when to get out, when to start playing catch and things like that. It was nice to have guys like Tillman around to help."

Manager Buck Showalter has been stretching out Matusz, who went 2 1/3 innings in relief in a previous game, to enable the left-hander to work on his changeup.

"For me, it's throwing all four pitches, mixing all four - the curveball, the slider, the change and the fastball," Matusz said. "A matter of working them all together in and out, up and down. That's the key. Having an opportunity to start gives me an opportunity to face more righties and I think that's the key of being able to use the changeup a lot more."

Matusz would need all four pitches if he returned to the rotation. He's always preferred to start, but is willing to do whatever he's told.

Did today give him the itch again to be a starter?

"Absolutely," he replied. "To have this opportunity, and I've been waiting a year to have it again. So it was a blessing to get this opportunity and it's exciting, so we'll see where we go from here."

Update: Roe allowed a run and three hits in the sixth. Ryan Kiermaier had an RBI double with one out.

The Orioles broke up the no-hitter on Rey Navarro's leadoff single off Steven Geltz in the bottom of the sixth, and J.J. Hardy delivered an RBI double with one out.

Logan Verrett retired the Rays in order in the seventh.

Chris Tillman worked three scoreless innings against the Puerto Rico Development Program on Field 4.

Update II: Steve Pearce led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to left field off left-hander Robert Zarate, reducing Tampa Bay's lead to 3-2.

Pearce is 6-for-17 with a double and home run this spring.