masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgIs this the night that Bud Norris reverts to his 2014 form?
Norris posted a 9.26 ERA in 11 2/3 innings in spring training, and he was charged with eight runs in three-plus innings Friday afternoon in the Orioles’ home opener against the Blue Jays.
Three of those runs scored after Norris left the game with the bases loaded, but it didn’t provide much comfort. He hasn’t been getting results and he knows it’s time.
Norris is 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA in four career starts against the Yankees, with…

Is this the night that Bud Norris reverts to his 2014 form?

Norris posted a 9.26 ERA in 11 2/3 innings in spring training, and he was charged with eight runs in three-plus innings Friday afternoon in the Orioles’ home opener against the Blue Jays.

Three of those runs scored after Norris left the game with the bases loaded, but it didn’t provide much comfort. He hasn’t been getting results and he knows it’s time.

norris-pitching-white-sidebar.jpgNorris is 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA in four career starts against the Yankees, with six walks and 28 strikeouts in 23 innings. We’ll find out if they can jump-start his season.

Chase Headley is 7-for-17 (.412) with two home runs and seven strikeouts against Norris. Stephen Drew is 7-for-19 (.368) with two doubles, a triple, a home run and five walks. Carlos Beltran is 9-for-27 (.333) with five doubles.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Chris Young are a combined 4-for-27.

Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi has never faced the Orioles. He’s 15-35 with a 4.08 ERA in the majors, having spent two seasons with the Dodgers and three with the Marlins.

Left-handers are batting .294 against Eovaldi in his career, compared to the .249 average posted by right-handers.

Does manager Buck Showalter heed the splits and start Ryan Flaherty, who’s 2-for-13 with a home run this season?

Flaherty has been receiving extra tutoring from hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh.

“I just think he’s trying to cut down my swing, shorten my swing a little,” Flaherty said. “I’ve just been working with him. Not changing everything, but making some adjustments so my swing’s more compact and shorter.”

flaherty-swinging-white-sidebar.jpgThe sessions began toward the end of spring training, when Flaherty headed to the batting cage with Coolbaugh, first base coach Wayne Kirby and third base coach Bobby Dickerson.

So how does a player actually shorten his swing?

“I think just getting a little more spread out with my legs and lowering my hands a little bit and getting them in position where I’d bring them to anyway, and try to go from there and simplify some things,” Flaherty said.

Checking some stats through the first eight games, first baseman Chris Davis is batting .192 (5-for-26) with one home run, no walks and 12 strikeouts. Manny Machado is hitting .148 (4-for-27). Steve Pearce is batting .161 (5-for-31) with two home runs and nine strikeouts.