Roch Kubatko

Tonight's lineup (updated)

March 10, 2011, 8:01am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - I haven't started my drive to Bradenton, but I've already got a lineup for you. For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Mark Reynolds 3B Vladimir Guerrero DH Jake Fox LF Nolan Reimold RF Brandon Snyder 1B Craig Tatum C Ryan Adams 2B Brad Bergesen RHP Josh Rupe and Jeremy Accardo also are slated to pitch tonight. Fox gets a chance to further show off his versatility with a start in left field. Update: Former Oriole Garrett Atkins will start at third base and bat...

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Feats of Clay Rapada

March 10, 2011, 2:48am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - I just opened the curtains and saw my first heavy rain of the spring. It's coming down in buckets, accompanied by claps of thunder, but the forecast calls for clearing in the afternoon. Time spent pairing up the animals has probably been wasted. The Orioles will be playing under the lights in Bradenton tonight, their second road game against the Pirates in less than two weeks. It's the shortest drive of the spring, replacing Jupiter, so no complaints on this end. The...

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Drese goes three innings in Fort Myers (updated twice)

March 09, 2011, 3:02pm

Orioles

Drese goes three innings in Fort Myers (updated twice)

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...

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Lee MRI comes back clean

March 09, 2011, 1:20pm

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - The MRI taken earlier today on Derrek Lee's right wrist didn't reveal any structural damage, matching the results of yesterday's X-rays. Lee is dealing with some soreness that he believes is due to the atrophy that developed while his hand was in a cast following surgery in November to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. "The MRI came back normal. Nothing really unexpected," said president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. Lee will wait a few days to reduce the...

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Reviewing an 11-2 victory

March 09, 2011, 11:07am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Well, that was fun. The Orioles totaled 12 runs in their last five games before today. They scored 11 today. The finishing touches on an 11-2 win were applied by Ryan Adams, who homered, and left-hander Alberto Castillo, who easily retired the three batters he faced in the ninth. I failed to mention earlier that Adam Jones' long home run came against former Orioles reliever Jim Hoey. Jones was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Adams had two hits after...

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Talking about Guerrero, talking to Arrieta (updated)

March 09, 2011, 9:54am

Orioles

Talking about Guerrero, talking to Arrieta (updated)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Vladimir Guerrero wasn't trying to hit the Twins' bus. It only looked that way. Guerrero launched his second spring home run, easily clearing the fence in left-center field against Twins reliever Alex Burnett to increase the Orioles' lead to 7-1 in the fifth. Luke Scott scalded a ball to first, but it turned into an out. Nolan Reimold beat out a chopper to the left side. That Achilles issue is a thing of the past. He was motoring to first. Kevin Gregg, David Riske and...

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Orioles knock out Liriano (updated twice)

March 09, 2011, 8:51am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles scored six runs off Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano in 1 2/3 innings. Making his first official spring start, Liriano departed with his team trailing, 6-1. Adam Jones doubled with two outs in the second to score Nick Markakis, who walked after J.J. Hardy grounded into a double play. A misplayed fly ball off Vladimir Guerrero's bat allowed Jones to score. Jake Arrieta has given up one run and two hits in two innings. He's thrown 22 pitches, 13 for...

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Orioles jump on Twins early (updated)

March 09, 2011, 8:31am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Sounds scandalous, but I'm referring to today's game. Shame on you. The Orioles scored four runs off Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead. J.J Hardy walked, Adam Jones singled with one out, Vladimir Guerrero walked and Mark Reynolds drilled a 94 mph fastball into left-center field for a 2-0 lead. Luke Scott bounced to first, making him 0-for-13 this spring, but Guerrero scored on the play. Nolan Reimold followed with a single, giving...

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A few pregame notes (with quotes)

March 09, 2011, 6:27am

Orioles

Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters that Justin Duchscherer's hip is fine today and he'll pitch again Sunday in an intrasquad game. Duchscherer is scheduled to throw three innings if his pitch count allows it. Showalter doesn't want Brian Matusz to pitch in relief again and he needs to separate the left-hander from Duchscherer, which explains the intrasquad game. "That will allow us to control the environment a little bit," Showalter said. Also, Derrek Lee's MRI is scheduled...

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Scott: "I don't feel good at the plate" (with lineup)

March 09, 2011, 4:27am

Orioles

Scott: "I don't feel good at the plate" (with lineup)

SARASOTA, Fla. - The good news for Luke Scott is he's fully aware of the glitch that's caused him to go hitless with five strikeouts in 12 spring training at-bats. The bad news is he's been unable to correct it. "I don't feel good at the plate. My timing's off," Scott said. "Batting practice, I feel great. My swing is fine. Mechanically, I'm sound. But getting my timing, getting comfortable, I just haven't found a good rhythm. It's early. I've only got 12 at-bats. It's coming...

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Updating Roberts and Izturis (with lineup)

March 09, 2011, 3:21am

Orioles

Updating Roberts and Izturis (with lineup)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Overheard this morning at breakfast: "Oh, it's going to be chilly Friday. Sixty-eight degrees." Yeah, chilly. Brian Roberts said his back feels a little better, but he won't play in today's game against the Twins in Sarasota. And there's no way he's traveling to Fort Myers tonight for the other split-squad game. "It's not too bad," he said. Roberts said he woke up with back spasms a few days ago. He said they weren't caused by him diving into first base during...

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Lee to have MRI tomorrow

March 08, 2011, 12:28pm

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Derrek Lee will have a precautionary MRI on his wrist tomorrow. According to the team, Dr. John Wilckens feels confident that there is no damage to the wrist and that the discomfort is the result of tendinitis due to a lack of baseball activity while he was recovering from surgery. However, just to be safe, Lee will have an MRI in Sarasota tomorrow.

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Post-loss Showalter

March 08, 2011, 10:57am

Orioles

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario walked the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth while protecting a 3-2 lead. The next batter, Michael Martinez reached on a bunt single, with Rosario falling backward after fielding the ball. Carlos Rivero followed with a single into center field, scoring two runs and giving the Phillies a 4-3 victory over the Orioles before a sell-out crowd of 9,039. Your lesson for today: Don't walk the first two batters you face while...

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Game update, Matusz talks

March 08, 2011, 10:12am

Orioles

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Orioles are taking a 3-2 lead into the eighth after scoreless innings from Michael Gonzalez and Jim Johnson. Gonzalez issued a two-out walk and gave up a hit in the sixth. Johnson gave up back-to-back hits with two outs in the seventh, though shortstop Pedro Florimon easily could have been charged with an error on the second one. Both relievers struck out one batter. Here are some quotes from left-hander Brian Matusz, who was charged with two runs in relief: "It was...

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Matusz done, Lee update, Duchscherer talks

March 08, 2011, 9:43am

Orioles

Matusz done, Lee update, Duchscherer talks

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Brian Matusz pitched 2 1/3 innings today before manager Buck Showalter sprinted out of the dugout and removed him from the game. Matusz was charged with one run at the time, on Ryan Howard's homer, but reliever Chris George allowed an inherited runner to score on Shane Victorino's double with one out in the fifth inning. Josh Bell just doubled with two outs in the sixth to score Nolan Reimold, who was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Orioles 3, Phillies 2. Matusz...

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Good stuff in the first (updated)

March 08, 2011, 8:27am

Orioles

CLEARWATER, Fla. - I figured you could use some positive news beyond Koji Uehara being scheduled to throw on Thursday. I'm starting to feel like Debbie Downer. Jake Fox took over the team lead with six RBIs when he doubled in the first inning to score Randy Winn. Josh Bell followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead against Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels. Justin Duchscherer mowed down the Phillies in the bottom of the first, retiring the three batters he faced on 10 pitches. He got...

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More on the health issues

March 08, 2011, 8:04am

Orioles

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter said Derrek Lee's right wrist is "about the same at the very best" before revealing that the first baseman is visiting a hand specialist today. Nothing is imminent regarding Lee's debut with the Orioles. On the plus side, his thumb is fine. "It's nothing to the surgery side. That feels great," Showalter said. "I don't want to say tendinitis until they diagnose it. He's going to see a specialist in Sarasota just to make sure we know what...

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Lee seeing specialist, Roberts has back spasms

March 08, 2011, 7:39am

Orioles

Lee seeing specialist, Roberts has back spasms

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter dropped a few injury nuggets on reporters as batting practice ended. I'll send quotes later. Derrek Lee is seeing a hand specialist today in Sarasota because of soreness in his right wrist area. Lee was restricted to hitting off a tee and soft toss this morning. Brian Roberts couldn't work out today because of back spasms. They apparently flared up a few days ago while he stretched, then went away. Roberts is penciled into tomorrow afternoon's...

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Orioles lineup

March 08, 2011, 5:34am

Orioles

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Here's the Orioles' lineup for today's game vs. the Phillies: Randy Winn CF Brendan Harris 2B Nolan Reimold LF Jake Fox DH Josh Bell 3B Brandon Snyder 1B Nick Green RF Craig Tatum C Robert Andino SS Justin Duchscherer RHP Brian Matusz, Michael Gonzalez and Jim Johnson also will pitch today.

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Injury non-updates

March 08, 2011, 3:56am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla.- It feels like I just left the Ed Smith Stadium complex about 45 minutes ago, and I'm already back here. I'll be heading to Clearwater for today's game against the Phillies. I may take a few Sun reporters with me, just for laughs. The Orioles haven't posted their lineup. Cesar Izturis won't make the trip, which must be causing the delay. He apparently rolled his ankle last night, but it's nothing serious. Justin Duchscherer and Brian Matusz are pitching today. Here's...