masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSARASOTA, Fla. – Ryan Drese is trying to force his way into the Orioles’ rotation. He kept pushing tonight in Fort Myers.

I checked the game tracker, and Drese allowed one run, on a J.D. Drew homer, and three hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Drese retired the side in order in the first inning, but Drew led off the second with a homer. The inning also included Jason Varitek’s double and a walk to Daniel Nava.

Marco Scutaro singled with one out in the third.

In…SARASOTA, Fla. – Ryan Drese is trying to force his way into the Orioles’ rotation. He kept pushing tonight in Fort Myers.

I checked the game tracker, and Drese allowed one run, on a J.D. Drew homer, and three hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Drese retired the side in order in the first inning, but Drew led off the second with a homer. The inning also included Jason Varitek’s double and a walk to Daniel Nava.

Marco Scutaro singled with one out in the third.

In three outings, Drese has allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, with one walk and three strikeouts. Not too bad for a guy who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2006, when he made two starts for the Nationals – matching the number of Tommy John surgeries on his right elbow.

Drese won 14 games for the Rangers in 2004 while Buck Showalter was manager and Mark Connor was bullpen coach. He has a history with them. He’d like a roster spot.

I showed up here with the expectation that Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Justin Duchscherer, Brad Bergesen and Jake Arrieta would fill out the rotation, but Duchscherer’s name comes with a big ol’ asterisk because of his three hip surgeries and the soreness that cropped up on the left side early in camp. He made it through yesterday’s two-inning debut in Clearwater without any problems and is scheduled to pitch in an intrasquad game Sunday. Fingers remain crossed.

It wouldn’t be easy to make room for Drese if everyone’s healthy. He’s putting up a fight. We’ll find out whether it’s a losing battle.

Jake Fox doubled in his first at-bat, raising his average to .417.

Update: Joe Mahoney tripled and scored on Matt Angle’s sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth. The game is tied, 1-1. Armando Gabino and Mike Ballard each threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Update II: Wynn Pelzer hit Yamaico Navarro with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth. Red Sox 2, Orioles 1.

You Wynn some, you lose some.