Notes and quotes following today's 9-7 victory
By Roch Kubatko
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are shutting down outfielder Henry Urrutia for the next two days due to inflammation in his right shoulder.
Urrutia has been scratched from Sunday's trip to Fort Myers for a 1:05 p.m. game against the Red Sox. Manager Buck Showalter said he will bring minor league outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.
That's an instant note.
Delmon Young will serve as the designated hitter on Sunday. Outfielder Quintin Berry, no longer bothered by back spasms, will make the trip.
Reliever Alfredo Aceves will make his Grapefruit League debut with the Orioles on Monday. He wanted to face his old team this weekend, but it's not happening.
Showalter confirmed that Ubaldo Jimenez will make his Orioles debut on Friday.
As for today's game, Francisco Peguero started a seven-run rally in the eighth with a leadoff single and capped it with a three-run triple.
"He's a runner and he's a defender and he's a plus-thrower and he seems to be playing with a lot of energy," Showalter said. "It's been like a year and a half since his knee surgery and he wasn't running as well last year as he is now. He's been running really good.
"We got him 3.93 on the jailbreak time yesterday in (Port Charlotte), which is really good right-handed. He's out over the plate."
Peguero is out of options. Executive vice president Dan Duquette views him as a player who never got a chance with the Giants and could flourish with the Orioles if there's a spot for him.
"You try to give the other organization credit," Showalter said. "They had him for seven years, but a lot of times you do create an opportunity, whether it's for David Lough or Peguero. Some people earn that. You like the defensive side of it and you look the foot-speed side of it. I said before camp that I thought this was going to be one of the more athletic groups of outfielders I've gone to camp with, and I think Frankie's an example of that."
Evan Meek retired the side in order in the ninth to pick up the save.
"That was a nice situation to get Evan into," Showalter said. "I talked to him after the game. I said, 'How did that feel?' He goes, 'Glad to get it out of the way, but it's been a while.'
"This guy was one of the better pitchers in the National League two years ago, so hopefully we can get him back."
Showalter thought Miguel Gonzalez was "sharp." He noted that the velocity on certain pitchers, including Gonzalez, Chris Tillman, Zach Britton and Tommy Hunter, is higher than normal for this point in the spring.
"Just tried to work on my fastball today. It was pretty good for the most part," said Gonzalez, who allowed one run and three hits in the second inning.
"I threw everything. I threw one split. I threw a couple of curveballs and a couple of sliders and some sinkers. Everything was well."
Steve Johnson retired all six batters he faced, with two strikeouts, after walking three batters and serving up a two-run homer to Jonathan Schoop in the first intrasquad game.
"So many guys, especially younger guys, they get that first one out of the way and say, 'OK, I'm in the flow now.' Every year, it's part of the process," Showalter said.
Showalter wore his gray wristband with Monica Barlow's initials written in black marker.
"We were going to do something on the hats, but we ran into some other issues where that was concerned," Showalter said. "I know there's some thought being given to something during the season. They do a great job with that. I'm sure you'll see something along those lines.
"John Russell noticed that Minnesota took BP in some kind of T-shirt (Stand Up 2 Cancer) that had to do with a cause. I was asking (vice president of communications and marketing) Greg Bader if we could figure out a way to do that with Monica. There's about four or five things Greg and the organization are looking into right now and you'll see it in some form or fashion for sure. And quite frankly, not just for this year. There's some thought about honoring some places that Monica was at a lot.
"She would have been so pissed today. We were talking about it in the dugout. I've got to tell you, you could feel it in the dugout. Everybody was thinking about her today."
As for today's game, Francisco Peguero started a seven-run rally in the eighth with a leadoff single and capped it with a three-run triple.
"He's a runner and he's a defender and he's a plus-thrower and he seems to be playing with a lot of energy," Showalter said. "It's been like a year and a half since his knee surgery and he wasn't running as well last year as he is now. He's been running really good.
"We got him 3.93 on the jailbreak time yesterday in (Port Charlotte), which is really good right-handed. He's out over the plate."
Peguero is out of options. Executive vice president Dan Duquette views him as a player who never got a chance with the Giants and could flourish with the Orioles if there's a spot for him.
"You try to give the other organization credit," Showalter said. "They had him for seven years, but a lot of times you do create an opportunity, whether it's for David Lough or Peguero. Some people earn that. You like the defensive side of it and you look the foot-speed side of it. I said before camp that I thought this was going to be one of the more athletic groups of outfielders I've gone to camp with, and I think Frankie's an example of that."
Evan Meek retired the side in order in the ninth to pick up the save.
"That was a nice situation to get Evan into," Showalter said. "I talked to him after the game. I said, 'How did that feel?' He goes, 'Glad to get it out of the way, but it's been a while.'
"This guy was one of the better pitchers in the National League two years ago, so hopefully we can get him back."
Showalter thought Miguel Gonzalez was "sharp." He noted that the velocity on certain pitchers, including Gonzalez, Chris Tillman, Zach Britton and Tommy Hunter, is higher than normal for this point in the spring.
"Just tried to work on my fastball today. It was pretty good for the most part," said Gonzalez, who allowed one run and three hits in the second inning.
"I threw everything. I threw one split. I threw a couple of curveballs and a couple of sliders and some sinkers. Everything was well."
Steve Johnson retired all six batters he faced, with two strikeouts, after walking three batters and serving up a two-run homer to Jonathan Schoop in the first intrasquad game.
"So many guys, especially younger guys, they get that first one out of the way and say, 'OK, I'm in the flow now.' Every year, it's part of the process," Showalter said.
Showalter wore his gray wristband with Monica Barlow's initials written in black marker.
"We were going to do something on the hats, but we ran into some other issues where that was concerned," Showalter said. "I know there's some thought being given to something during the season. They do a great job with that. I'm sure you'll see something along those lines.
"John Russell noticed that Minnesota took BP in some kind of T-shirt (Stand Up 2 Cancer) that had to do with a cause. I was asking (vice president of communications and marketing) Greg Bader if we could figure out a way to do that with Monica. There's about four or five things Greg and the organization are looking into right now and you'll see it in some form or fashion for sure. And quite frankly, not just for this year. There's some thought about honoring some places that Monica was at a lot.
"She would have been so pissed today. We were talking about it in the dugout. I've got to tell you, you could feel it in the dugout. Everybody was thinking about her today."
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