masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgWASHINGTON – Chris Jakubauskas didn’t receive an official invite to spring training, but he’s won two games for the Orioles this season.

Funny how these things work out.

He’s also their best hitter on the pitching staff.

Chris Jakubauskas talks about his outing on the mound Sunday and at the plate

“The first hit, ironically, probably means more to me since I was a hitter my entire life growing up. It means more to me than it did when I got my first win, but obviously today the win…WASHINGTON – Chris Jakubauskas didn’t receive an official invite to spring training, but he’s won two games for the Orioles this season.

Funny how these things work out.

He’s also their best hitter on the pitching staff.

Chris Jakubauskas talks about his outing on the mound Sunday and at the plate

“The first hit, ironically, probably means more to me since I was a hitter my entire life growing up. It means more to me than it did when I got my first win, but obviously today the win (means more),” he said.

Was he gassed after his trip around the bases?

“Running-wise, we don’t do too much running around the bases,” he said. “You know, I was a little tired. I was ready to go back out. I kind of got my wind toward the end of that inning. I hung a two-seamer to (Roger) Bernadina, he hit it out. It wasn’t so much fatigue, it was just a bad pitch that didn’t do anything.

“I was ready to come out for the sixth, but (manager Buck Showalter) said that was it. I wanted to go six, definitely wanted to go back out there, but what he says goes.”

Jakubauskas was thrown out trying to score on J.J. Hardy’s double in the fifth inning. Third base coach John Russell waved him home, and the relay nabbed him by a wide margin.

“My main thing was don’t fall down, because when I hit third my legs got Jello-ey,” Jakubauskas said. “I didn’t know where the ball was. He was waving me, so I knew it was a one-run game and it would have been nice to get J.J. an RBI and get another run on the board, make it a two-run game. But it was kind of one of those things.

“I was hoping (catcher Wilson Ramos) would go in and tag me nice and soft, go in a little hard, maybe I’d knock the ball out, but obviously that wasn’t happening.”

Jakubauskas didn’t have a major league hit before today.

“It’s always special when you get your first anything,” he said. “It just took me until I was 29, 30 years old to get up here. So, yeah it was special because it’s fun playing with guys who are 22, 23, and I’m 32 and some of these guys got more time than me. But it’s special anyway. These opportunities don’t last long, so you’ve got to make (the most) of opportunities when they present themselves.”