Roch Kubatko

Guthrie talks about OD start, Pirates lineup

March 24, 2011, 2:51pm

Orioles

Guthrie talks about OD start, Pirates lineup

SARASOTA, Fla. - Jeremy Guthrie will start the Orioles' regular-season opener for the third time in four years, an assignment that he calls "a big honor." "I think it's a manifestation of the confidence that Buck (Showalter) and the coaching staff have in me," he said. "I'm pleased to be out there. It's a great feeling to be out there with your team on the first game of the season, being out there battling and trying to start the season off on a good note. I'll be very excited to...

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Showalter on a variety of topics

March 24, 2011, 1:23pm

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Pat Egan, claimed by the Brewers in the Rule 5 draft and returned to the Orioles today, will work out here and possibly pitch in a game. However, he's not part of the official camp roster and eventually will be sent to Triple-A Norfolk. Egan doesn't have to be included on the 40-man roster. "He'll be here in a day or two," manager Buck Showalter said. "He's going to be available to pitch. He's going to have a locker and a uniform and he'll be a just-in-case type...

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Rosario, Egan trade places, Duchscherer pushed to April 21

March 24, 2011, 12:41pm

Orioles

Rosario, Egan trade places, Duchscherer pushed to April 21

SARASOTA, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter just buried reporters with news during batting practice. It won't all fit into the headline on this blog entry. Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario cleared waivers and returned to the Brewers. Pat Egan cleared waivers and returned to the Orioles. Egan worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings and recorded two saves this spring. Justin Duchscherer is projected to make his debut on April 21, which requires a stop on the disabled list. The Orioles will begin the season...

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Rosario expected to be cut, Bell speaks

March 24, 2011, 11:28am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario is expected to be included in today's cuts. He'll be placed on waivers, and another team can put in a claim and attempt to keep him on the major league roster. If Rosario clears as expected, the Orioles must offer him back to the Brewers for $25,000 or work out a trade. Rosario has a live arm, but he's raw. He allowed two runs and three hits, walked three batters and struck out one in two innings. Rosario's lone decision came in a loss to the...

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Bell cut; O's lineup vs. Pirates for Thursday (updated)

March 24, 2011, 10:56am

Orioles

Bell cut; O's lineup vs. Pirates for Thursday (updated)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Josh Bell is included in today's cuts. He's been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and told he'll play third base every day. Left-hander Zach Britton hasn't been called into the manager's office and is expected to make another start here. Here's the Orioles' lineup for tonight's 7:05 p.m. game against Pittsburgh: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Felix Pie CF Mark Reynolds 3B Matt Wieters C J.J.Hardy SS Jake Arrieta...

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Roster cuts coming today

March 24, 2011, 5:23am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will play their second consecutive night game, but they won't do any traveling. The Pirates are coming to Sarasota. I made it back to my hotel from Fort Myers around midnight, so I had no problem staying in bed a little longer this morning. Jake Arrieta will start for the Orioles. He's allowed six runs and 12 hits, with two walks and eight strikeouts, in his last two outings covering 8 1/3 innings. He's posted a 5.40 ERA in 13 1/3 innings this spring, allowing...

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Machado debuts in 5-2 loss

March 23, 2011, 6:29pm

Orioles

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The ninth inning took on special meaning tonight because shortstop Manny Machado stepped to the plate against Twins reliever Chuck James. Of course, it happened while reporters were racing down from the press box to the seats beside the Orioles' dugout. Machado grounded to short in the Orioles' 5-2 loss at Hammond Stadium. Nervous? "No, not really," he said. "I was just a little too patient." Machado, the third overall pick in last June's draft, didn't know he...

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Matusz finds silver lining in bullpen (with two notes)

March 23, 2011, 5:05pm

Orioles

Matusz finds silver lining in bullpen (with two notes)

FORT MYERS, Fla. - It wasn't until left-hander Brian Matusz returned to the bullpen to continue throwing that he salvaged part of his night. Matusz recorded only four outs and allowed four runs and four hits, with three walks and no strikeouts. He threw 56 pitches, but the most important ones came afterward. That's when Matusz says he found the rhythm that abandoned him while the Twins were teeing off and home plate kept moving on him. "From the get-go, warming up, I couldn't find my...

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Matusz makes early exit, Jones homers

March 23, 2011, 4:09pm

Orioles

FORT MYERS, Fla. - It was hardly worth the drive over here. Left-hander Brian Matusz recorded only four outs tonight and was charged with four runs and five hits, with three walks and no strikeouts. The Twins lead, 4-1, in the third inning. Manager Buck Showalter summoned left-hander Alberto Castillo after Joe Mauer's two-run single, which came on Matusz's 56th pitch. The ball slammed off the left-center field fence, but Tsuyoshi Nishioka inexplicably stopped at second base. Matusz went to...

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Long first inning for Matusz

March 23, 2011, 3:40pm

Orioles

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Good thing the Orioles relaxed their facial-hair policy, or half the team would be in violation right now. The Twins forced Brian Matusz to throw 34 pitches in the first inning, 18 for strikes. Matusz had four full counts, walked two batters, gave up a hit and fell behind, 1-0. Denard Span walked and stole second base without a throw. Tsuyoshi Nishioka laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Span scored on Joe Mauer's sharp grounder down the third base line. Mark Reynolds made a...

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Showalter speaks

March 23, 2011, 2:37pm

Orioles

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Since manager Buck Showalter is all about finding nuggets, I wanted to pass along a few from today's pre-game media session. On Brian Roberts making the trip: "We were going to wait until after (yesterday's) game was over. Robby and I talked about 6 o'clock last night at the stadium. He wanted to get some right-handed at-bats, Obviously, (Francisco) Liriano presents that. It was probably more his idea than mine. I think it's a great idea." On the number of cuts that...

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Quick updates

March 23, 2011, 2:01pm

Orioles

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Justin Duchscherer threw the first part of today's bullpen session on a half mound and the rest on a full mound. Manager Buck Showalter said Duchscherer felt "really good," and the club will have a more definite plan for him tomorrow. Koji Uehara will pitch in a Triple-A game on Friday. Showalter still believes that Uehara will be ready for the April 1 opener against the Rays. Brendan Harris will be sidelined one or two more days after having a mole removed from his...

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Gregg tweaks mechanics again, Machado here

March 23, 2011, 1:01pm

Orioles

Gregg tweaks mechanics again, Machado here

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Kevin Gregg stayed back in camp today after pitching yesterday in a minor league game at Twin Lakes Park. Gregg faced five batters yesterday, allowing two hits, striking out two and hitting a batter. He threw 23 pitches, 16 for strikes. Gregg made an adjustment in his mechanics earlier in camp, leaning forward as he delivered the ball rather than staying back. He wasn't happy with the results - he gave up eight earned runs (nine total) in two appearances over 1 1/3 innings...

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Roberts and Lee in lineup (and Twins lineup)

March 23, 2011, 10:07am

Orioles

Roberts and Lee in lineup (and Twins lineup)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter told reporters yesterday that Brian Roberts wasn't making the trip to Fort Myers for tonight's game against the Twins, but the second baseman is in the lineup. He'll join Derrek Lee, who's starting at first base. Also, no cuts will be announced today. We'll most likely receive them tomorrow. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Adam Jones CF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Jake Fox LF Mark Reynolds 3B Nolan Reimold RF Craig Tatum C Cesar Izturis...

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Cleaning out my notebook

March 22, 2011, 5:16pm

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Here's a shocker: The Orioles are playing another night game on the road. Even more startling, we're headed back to Fort Myers to watch the Twins - twice, including Friday afternoon, if you're keeping score at home. The clubhouse opens to the media today at 1 p.m. The team bus leaves Sarasota at 2:15 p.m. Left-hander Brian Matusz and relievers David Riske, Clay Rapada and Jim Johnson are scheduled to pitch. The Orioles will take another look at Twins left-hander...

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Showalter and more Britton

March 22, 2011, 12:09pm

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles defeated the Yankees, 6-2, before 8,347 at Ed Smith Stadium. Would be much nicer if it happened at Camden Yards with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano in the Yankees' lineup, but a win is a win. Manager Buck Showalter will decide tomorrow afternoon whether Derrek Lee is making the trip to Fort Myers for the night game against the Twins. If Lee goes, he'll play first base. Lee didn't run full-speed to first base on a grounder to short, but he was...

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Britton on Britton

March 22, 2011, 11:33am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Jason Berken threw two scoreless, hitless innings after replacing Zach Britton. That's three scoreless outings in his last four. He allowed two runs in three innings to the Twins in his most recent appearance before today. Michael Gonzalez gave up a run on a hit and walk in the eighth. He also struck out two. Matt Wieters has singled and twice flied out to the fence. Derrek Lee is 0-for-2 with a grounder and pop up. Here are some comments from Zach Britton: "I got into a...

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Tillman update, Hardy homers (updated twice)

March 22, 2011, 10:21am

Orioles

Tillman update, Hardy homers (updated twice)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman worked six innings today in a minor league game at Twin Lakes Park. Facing a collection of Red Sox Triple-A hitters, Tillman allowed one earned run and seven hits, and struck out four. Tillman faced extra hitters in two innings, allowing him to increase his pitch count and record 22 outs. Tillman and Zach Britton, who's allowed one run and five hits to the Yankees over four innings, are trying to avoid assignments to Triple-A Norfolk. Britton has thrown 67...

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Quick note on Britton (updated twice)

March 22, 2011, 9:34am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander Zach Britton has extended his scoreless-innings streak to 11 today by blanking the Yankees over the first two. He allowed back-to-back singles in the second inning, one off a broken bat, but retired the next two batters on ground balls. Britton's fastball is registering 96 mph on the stadium gun. Not sure how accurate it is, but that's what it says on the scoreboard. You can tack on five more scoreless innings for Britton if you include a minor league game,...

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Gregg and Uehara pitch at Twins Lakes

March 22, 2011, 9:16am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gregg faced five batters today in a minor league game at Twin Lakes Park. He allowed two hits struck out two and hit a batter. He threw 23 pitches, 16 for strikes. "I felt good today," Gregg said. "I got my mechanics back to where they need to be." Koji Uehara, pitching in his first game since the Feb. 28 opener in Bradenton, threw 11 of his 12 pitches for strikes and fanned one in one inning. "Physically, I felt real good. The elbow felt good," he said through...