Roch Kubatko

Night moves

March 31, 2010, 8:14am

Orioles

In my continuing quest to bring you the latest sports news from around the globe - or at least parts of Florida - I spent about four hours last night with the Sarasota Roller Girls at a local establishment called "Beery's." I know, I know...like we haven't all done that before. They have a blog (who doesn't?) and also can be found on Facebook and MySpace. They also hip-check if you crowd them at the bar. They actually have their home bouts at Stardust Event Center across the street...

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orioles spring training

Orioles 8, Yankees 0

March 31, 2010, 8:13am

Orioles

Matt Albers struck out Marcus Thames with two outs and a runner on first base to complete the Orioles' 8-0 victory over the Yankees. Albers allowed a leadoff single before getting the next three outs. Kam Mickolio also allowed a hit in a scoreless inning, and he struck out two batters. The dogfight continues. Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Garrett Atkins each had two RBIs today. Atkins had one coming into the game. Please allow me to pass along manager Dave Trembley's post-game comments for...

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orioles spring training

Bergy on Bergy

March 31, 2010, 8:12am

Orioles

Michael Aubrey singled while I was waiting to interview Brad Bergesen. Good for him. It's been a rough spring for the first baseman. Brad Bergesen is happy with today's start, but he's not satisfied. "There are a few things I still need to focus on and accomplish this spring training, but I felt that much more like myself today and I just need to continue to build on that," he said. "There were a couple mental mistakes I made today later in the inning, I think in the fifth, when I made...

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orioles spring training

Bergy's day

March 31, 2010, 8:11am

Orioles

Brad Bergesen left today's game to a loud ovation. Manager Dave Trembley shook his hand and patted his back at least four times. I lost track. I only count pitches, not pats. Bergesen blanked the Yankees on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two. Trembley brought in Alberto Castillo after Alex Rodriguez drew a two-out walk. Bergesen threw 76 pitches, 51 for strikes. I don't think we need to worry about his shoulder anymore. Heck, you can stop worrying about the...

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orioles spring training Jake Arrieta

In the booth (updated)

March 31, 2010, 8:10am

Orioles

Former Orioles Eddie Murray, Brady Anderson, Mike Boddicker and Ben McDonald will join the MASN broadcast booth for select games this season. They'll assist with the color commentary on a rotating basis. Anderson will provide television and radio analysis, and appear on the O's Xtra pre- and post-game shows on April 23-25 in Boston. Other dates will be announced. Each player will work nearly a dozen games. Perhaps you find it interesting that Boddicker was once traded to the Red Sox for...

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orioles spring training Mike Rizzo

Quick game update (with two updates)

March 31, 2010, 8:08am

Orioles

Matt Wieters, batting .179 coming into the game, just lined a two-run double in left-center field in the third inning. Orioles 4, Yankees 0. Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis singled before Wieters came to the plate. Adam Jones will take aim at the Yankees' bus again. Maybe he'll break some glass this time. Nope. Jones walked. Still no outs and left-hander Boone Logan taking the mound for the Yankees. Update: Luke Scott reached on Robinson Cano's throwing error, allowing a run to score....

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orioles spring training

Up and Adam (w/Bergy update)

March 31, 2010, 8:08am

Orioles

Adam Jones just hit a two-run homer and a bus. Jones launched a pitch from Alfredo Aceves over the left field fence in the second inning, and the ball slammed off one of the buses that transported the Yankees to Sarasota. That's four homers and six RBIs for Jones, who jumped on an 0-1 pitch after Matt Wieters walked and gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Update: Brad Bergesen retired the first seven batters of the game before Randy Winn blooped a double near the left field line. Felix Pie seemed...

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orioles spring training

Bergy off to a hot start (updated)

March 31, 2010, 8:02am

Orioles

Brad Bergesen needed only six pitches to get through the top of the first inning. Five of them were strikes. Derek Jeter grounded to second, with Ty Wigginton ranging far to his right to make the backhanded pickup. Nick Johnson flied to center, and Mark Teixeira grounded to Cesar Izturis, who was playing on the right side as part of the infield shift. Of course, you already know this if you're watching the game on MASN. See you in the bottom of the fifth inning. Update: Bergesen has...

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orioles spring training

The Arrieta Up There

March 31, 2010, 8:02am

Orioles

Jake Arrieta told reporters earlier today that he met with manager Dave Trembley, pitching coach Rick Kranitz and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail about joining the minor league camp. The idea apparently came from the young right-hander, which is an unusual occurrence. Arrieta only pitched five innings, not counting an intrasquad game. He knew where he'd start the season, and it wasn't in the Orioles' rotation or bullpen. No sense delaying the inevitable. "During BP I...

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orioles spring training Mike Griffin

Roberts will play tomorrow

March 31, 2010, 8:01am

Orioles

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will make his first spring start tomorrow night against the Minnesota Twins. Manager Dave Trembley isn't certain how long Roberts will play or how many at-bats he'll receive. Trembley also must decide whether to play Roberts in consecutive games or give him Saturday off. "The only thing I'm saying today is he's going to play tomorrow," Trembley said. "It's been kind of a little bit of a hectic day for us with the meetings. I'd like to look at it...

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orioles spring training

Look for the union label

March 31, 2010, 8:01am

Orioles

The clubhouse remained closed to the media today, with players taking the field for batting practice after their union meeting adjourned. Michael Weiner, general counsel to the players association, has two more camps to visit this spring. His car was pointed in the general direction of Fort Myers. "It's mostly about getting ready for bargaining because there's such turnover in the player composition that you have a lot of players who haven't been through it before," he said. "The...

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orioles spring training

The lineups

March 31, 2010, 8:00am

Orioles

For the Orioles: Felix Pie LF Miguel Tejada 3B Nick Markakis RF Matt Wieters C Adam Jones CF Luke Scott DH Garrett Atkins 1B Ty Wigginton 2B Cesar Izturis SS Brad Bergesen RHP For the Yankees: Derek Jeter SS Nick Johnson DH Mark Teixeira 1B Alex Rodriguez 3B Robinson Cano 2B Nick Swisher RF Marcus Thames LF Randy Winn CF Francisco Cervelli C Alfredo Aceves RHP

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orioles spring training

Subtract Arrieta

March 31, 2010, 7:59am

Orioles

The Orioles have assigned pitcher Jake Arrieta to the minor league camp, reducing their spring training roster to 47 players. Arrieta needs the innings, and they won't come in Grapefruit League games with the projected starters being stretched out. Look for Arrieta to reappear in Triple-A Norfolk's rotation in April. The right-hander allowed three earned runs (five total) and seven hits in five innings this spring, with four walks and nine strikeouts.

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orioles spring training Andy MacPhail

Where am I?

March 31, 2010, 7:59am

Orioles

This place looks familiar. Is it...could it be...Sarasota? I might drive around Ed Smith Stadium 172 times before parking my car, just so it feels like a road trip. The Orioles are home for three straight games, beginning today against the New York Yankees. That means they'll be able to work on some fundamentals on the back fields, a luxury they didn't have because of all the recent travel. The clubhouse won't be open to the media in the morning because the players have a union meeting....

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orioles spring training

The Stockstill Switch

March 24, 2010, 1:06pm

Orioles

I was told again this afternoon that the Orioles won't be issuing a statement regarding the Stockstill brothers before Friday. They're expected to announce that David and John have switched roles. David will become director of international scouting, and John will become director of player development. Sounds like a Lindsay Lohan movie. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail declined to comment when I approached him in the visiting clubhouse after the game, but a member of the...

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orioles spring training Jake Arrieta

Post-game Trembley

March 24, 2010, 1:05pm

Orioles

Opening statement: "We pitched good enough to win. I'm glad we got Matusz stretched out. We got those other guys in." On Brian Matusz: "He wasn't as crisp, he wasn't as sharp, but he knows how to pitch. He knows how to pitch without his best stuff. That was obvious today. And he was good. He was good." On Will Ohman: "It seems like every situation I've brought him in has been to match up and he's gotten the job done. That's what you want. You want a guy who doesn't take long to...

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orioles spring training Dave Trembley

Cardinals 4, Orioles 2

March 24, 2010, 1:04pm

Orioles

Brian Matusz didn't have his best stuff today, but he turned in a quality start. Another encouraging sign from him. "Today was one of those days where I never really got in a good groove, and you're going to have those days," he said. "You have games where you feel great, and games where you have to grind and battle through it. I was having a tough time getting on top of my pitches. I feel like I didn't have a very good downward plane on my fastball. And all the other pitches work off...

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orioles spring training

Pitching update

March 24, 2010, 1:04pm

Orioles

Will Ohman faced one batter and struck him out. That's 6 1/3 scoreless innings for Ohman this spring, with two hits allowed, two walks and 10 strikeouts. Think he'll make the team? Jim Johnson retired both batters he faced after replacing Ohman. Mike Gonzalez allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth. He threw 23 pitches, 11 for strikes. Gonzalez walked the leadoff hitter, Colby Rasmus, and David Freese's two-out double increased St. Louis' lead to 4-2. Gonzalez should have gotten a...

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orioles spring training

As a Matusz of fact (updated)

March 24, 2010, 1:03pm

Will Ohman is warming in the bullpen, so Brian Matusz appears to be done after six innings. Matusz allowed three runs and nine hits. That's two more hits than his spring total before today. He also walked a batter and struck out one. I'll update this entry with his official pitch count. My unofficial total is 83, but I don't trust me right now. Update: It's safe to trust me. Matusz threw 83 pitches, 53 for strikes. Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday were a combined 0-for-5 with a...

Family Matusz (updated twice)

March 24, 2010, 1:03pm

Did I mention that Brian Matusz's grandparents are here today? Matusz has raised the bar so high this spring, today's effort looks like a real struggle. The Cardinals strung together back-to-back singles with one out in the fourth, executed a double steal and tied the game on David Freese's double to right. Matusz has allowed two runs and six hits through the fourth. He's thrown around 60 pitches. I've lost track, but I'll get the official count later. Brandon Snyder is having a nice...