Simon keeps it simple (Orioles lose 4-3)

Alfredo Simon kept today's game at Safeco Field from spinning out of control. If the Orioles brought their bats, he might be in line to get the win. Simon struck out the first two batters he faced to leave the bases loaded in the third inning and keep Jake Arrieta's line from growing uglier. He gave manager Buck Showalter 3 1/2 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, walking one and striking out four. Just what the doctor ordered. And the manager. Simon threw 55 pitches over two innings in Friday's night's game in Oakland, when he clearly ran out of gas and surrendered three runs and four hits to take the loss. He needed only 43 pitches, including 29 strikes, to make it through 3 2/3 today. He deserves a win. Simon was throwing his fastball and splitter, and he recorded one strikeout with his curveball. It was an impressive display. During the MASN broadcast, Jim Palmer relayed a conversation he had with Simon, who told the Hall of Famer that he's not going back to the Dominican Republic despite a published report that he'd have to stand trial. Palmer kept stressing that he was only passing along Simon's remarks, and they weren't coming from lawyers or Dominican authorities. Update: The Orioles scored twice in the eighth on a Nick Markakis single and Chone Figgins error, but Robert Andino grounded into a double play in the ninth to seal a 4-3 loss. Luke Scott batted with runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth, and he grounded to second baseman Adam Kennedy. Showalter could have sent up Jake Fox as a pinch-hitter against Mariners left-hander Aaron Laffey, but Fox is 3-for28 against southpaws this season and is a career .206 hitter against him. It's not necessarily an advantageous matchup for the Orioles. You could argue that Fox should have hit for Andino. Different debate. Adam Jones pinch-ran for Vladimir Guerrero and was out at second on Matt Wieters' fielder's choice grounder. Jones told reporters yesterday that his shoulder only hurt when he threw, not when he swung a bat, so I'm thinking that he could have been saved as a pinch-hitter in that situation. However, it's possible that Jones is downplaying the injury, and Showalter doesn't want him aggravating it.