masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgORIOLES QUICK WRAP
Score: Phillies 1, Orioles 0
Recap: Chris Tillman threw 32 pitches in two scoreless innings and headed to the bullpen to increase his count. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one. Brian Matusz followed with two scoreless innings before coming back out in the fifth and serving up a home run to Andres Blanco. Matusz struck out four batters in 2 1/3 innings. Zach Britton allowed his first two baserunners of the spring in the sixth on a hit batter and a single, but he…

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Phillies 1, Orioles 0

Recap: Chris Tillman threw 32 pitches in two scoreless innings and headed to the bullpen to increase his count. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one. Brian Matusz followed with two scoreless innings before coming back out in the fifth and serving up a home run to Andres Blanco. Matusz struck out four batters in 2 1/3 innings. Zach Britton allowed his first two baserunners of the spring in the sixth on a hit batter and a single, but he escaped the jam. He’s thrown two scoreless innings and registered a 1-2-3 inning in the intrasquad game. Tyler Wilson threw two scoreless innings. Darren O’Day retired the side in order in the ninth.

Need to know: Tillman’s fastball topped out at 96 mph. Matusz has allowed one run in 3 1/3 spring innings over two appearances. The Orioles loaded the bases in the second inning on a Matt Wieters walk and back-to-back singles by Steve Clevenger and Everth Cabrera, but Alejandro De Aza flied out. De Aza singled in the first. They also left the sacks full in the seventh. Caleb Joseph singled in his first at-bat as a father. Pretty cool moment. The game drew 7,639 fans, the third sellout at Ed Smith Stadium this spring.

On deck: Tuesday vs. Yankees in Sarasota, 1:05 p.m on MASN HD
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SARASOTA, Fla. – Brian Matusz threw two scoreless innings today against the Phillies and came back out for the top of the fifth. That’s how a reliever gets stretched out in spring training.

Matusz allowed a leadoff home run to Andres Blanco and exited after striking out Jordan Danks. He’s permitted one run in 3 1/3 exhibition innings.

Matusz struck out the side in the fourth and also permitted a double to Jeff Francoeur.

Left-hander Pat McCoy replaced Matusz in the fifth with the Orioles trailing 1-0. Zach Britton pitched the sixth, with Caleb Joseph moving behind the plate, and escaped a two-on, no-out jam.

Britton hit Cody Asche leading off the inning and Ryan Howard singled, but Francoeur bounced into a 6-4-3 double play and former Oriole Russ Canzler grounded out.

Tyler Wilson is pitching the seventh inning with the Orioles still behind 1-0.

tillman-pitching-orange-sidebar.jpgChris Tillman made his spring debut today and threw two scoreless innings.

“I’m pleased,” he said after allowing one hit, walking one and striking out one. “It went well. It was fun to get out there. It gave me a chance to finally see some hitters. It was fun. Got to throw all my pitches. I got out of it what I needed.

“For me, I’m a big feel pitcher. I wanted to get a feel for pretty much all my pitches, I think. Early on, I was a little excited, but really made an adjustment and got back on. Threw some good changeups, some good curveballs. Fastball location was good for the most part. I’m happy with it.”

Tillman was getting antsy while waiting to make his first start. He expects to pitch again in five days.

“I don’t like sitting there,” he said. “Threw enough bullpens, so I was ready. Like I said, it was fun just getting back out there, get in that atmosphere again, get the blood going a little bit.”

Tillman, like the other pitchers, is focusing mainly on fastball command.

“Ninety percent of it was fastball command,” he said. “I was able to mix in some (other pitches), but then I came down and got up a third time in the bullpen and threw most of my pitches. I got done what I needed from it.”

Tillman has exceeded 200 innings the past two seasons and wants to keep the streak alive.

“Same thing,” he said. “My goal every year is to take the mound on my day and every time it’s my day to take the ball. That’s my goal, to take the ball every time when it’s my day and take it as deep as I possibly can in the game and help the bullpen out.”