Roch Kubatko

Getting Wiggy with it

March 24, 2010, 11:32am

Ty Wigginton has hit the Orioles' 10th home run this spring. Wigginton led off the second inning with a blast onto the grassy hill beyond the fence in left-center field. He almost wiped out a sunbather. The Tigers lead, 6-1. Matt Albers got the final out in the bottom of the first by inducing a fly ball from Johnny Damon. The Tigers might have been exhausted from running the bases.

Albers calms the storm

March 24, 2010, 11:31am

Matt Albers retired the first four batters he faced, getting three ground balls in the second inning, before Don Kelly led off the third with a single up the middle. Yes, we've only completed three innings. We're going to be here for a while. Albers got a fly ball, fielder's choice grounder and another fly ball, giving him 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Kevin Millwood. On the day Miguel Tejada wasn't scheduled to make the trip to Port Charlotte, he arrived at the Sarasota complex...

The second inning (and the third)

March 24, 2010, 11:28am

Brian Matusz gave up a two-out double to Yadier Molina and a single to David Freese in the second inning, but the Cardinals didn't score. Left fielder Nolan Reimold almost threw out Molina at second. Molina reached third on Freese's hit, but he left the game with an apparent hamstring injury. I think he has a bad case of slow. Matusz fanned Ryan Ludwick for the second out. He threw 20 pitches, 14 for strikes. Rich Hill threw 12 pitches in a scoreless second inning. Felix Pie reached on an...

Hill Street Blues (updated)

March 24, 2010, 11:27am

Before the first pitch was thrown, we stood for the longest rendition of the national anthem in spring training history. Me: "Is this a night game?" Schmuck: "Rich Hill just walked the bases loaded." Press box announcer: "The temperature just went up two degrees." Too bad we didn't have a stopwatch on her. Hill walked leadoff hitter Felix Pie on six pitches. He also walked Lou Montanez on four pitches after Robert Andino flied out. Does any of this sound familiar? Nolan Reimold...

A few nuggets

March 24, 2010, 11:26am

Go with the honey mustard dipping sauce today. David Hernandez will start Saturday against the Red Sox in Sarasota, the last of three straight home games for the Orioles. Kevin Millwood will pitch in a minor league game on Saturday, as he suggested after his last start. No sense letting the Red Sox get a read on him, though I assume the book is out on this guy. No updates on Brian Roberts so far. He's expected to take batting practice again today and make his first start later this week....

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Jim Johnson

Orioles lineup (updated)

March 24, 2010, 11:25am

Felix Pie CF Robert Andino SS Lou Montanez RF Nolan Reimold LF Brandon Snyder 1B Josh Bell 3B Scott Moore DH Chad Moeller C Justin Turner 2B Brian Matusz LHP Here's the Cardinals lineup: Lugo 2B Ryan SS Pujols 1B Holliday LF Ludwick RF Molina C Freese 3B Mather CF Hill LHP Matusz was originally listed as the ninth hitter for the Orioles, but manager Dave Trembley inserted Moore as his designated hitter. I'm sure he'd like to avoid having Matusz bat and risk an injury.

Been here, done that

March 24, 2010, 11:25am

(I had to rewrite this entry because it somehow got deleted from the system. I'm off to a good start). I made the trip back up I-95 this morning, resisting the urge to use the carpool lane, and arrived at Roger Dean Stadium in approximately 45 minutes. Not bad for rush hour, especially going through West Palm, where traffic usually comes to a screeching halt. The Orioles are back in Jupiter, this time to face the ballpark's other tenant, the St. Louis Cardinals. Brian Matusz will make his...

Millwood on Millwood

March 24, 2010, 11:22am

Knowing that you don't have to compete for a spot on the team gives you the luxury of working on other pitches in the early weeks of spring training. The results don't really matter. Keep that in mind when examining Kevin Millwood's line today. Millwood went to his changeup more than usual, and it's his fourth-best pitch. "If I can get it to be just a little bit better, it's only going to help," he said. "When I'm going fastball-changeup, it's going to be a hard day. But I got a...

A few updates

March 24, 2010, 11:21am

Nolan Reimold went 0-for-2, grounding to short and hitting into a double play, before Michael Aubrey replaced him as the designated hitter. Aubrey singled in his second at-bat of the spring (he flied out last night). Ty Wigginton is 2-for-3 with a home run and a throwing error. Aubrey and Blake Davis have the only other hits for the Orioles. Cla Meredith tossed a scoreless fifth inning, striking out one. Brandon Erbe retired the first two batters he faced in the sixth, with a ground ball...

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Josh Willingham Ryan Zimmerman

Reimold on Reimold

March 24, 2010, 11:19am

Nolan Reimold said he was seeing the ball well today. "Now I just have to hit it." Reimold isn't running at full speed, which was evident on his double-play grounder. "Normally, I would probably have beat that out, but I'm going to try to not hurt myself any more," he said. "If it was a regular-season game, I would probably have been full-go. I ran hard, but I didn't want to hurt anything. I wasn't going 100 percent. I'm still working my way up to 100 percent." A work in...

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Lou Montanez

Rally falls short

March 24, 2010, 11:17am

The Orioles scored four runs in the ninth, the first two on another Rhyne Hughes home run, but the Tigers posted a 9-5 victory in Lakeland. Jeff Salazar followed Hughes' blast with a single, and Craig Tatum and Pedro Florimon walked before the Tigers yanked reliever Jay Sborz. Ground balls by Matt Angle and Miguel Abreu produced two more runs, but Michael Aubrey lined to center for the final out. Here's manager Dave Trembley on Kevin Millwood: "Millwood made some good pitches and they got...

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where in the yard

Orioles lineup

March 24, 2010, 11:16am

For the Orioles: Adam Jones CF Ty Wigginton DH Nick Markakis RF Miguel Tejada 3B Matt Wieters C Luke Scott LF Garrett Atkins 1B Miguel Abreu 2B Cesar Izturis SS Jeremy Guthrie RHP

Middle infield depth

March 24, 2010, 11:13am

The Orioles have summoned infielder Ryan Adams from the minor league camp. He'll wear No. 96. If he gets into the game, he'll have to report as tackle-eligible. "It was actually a big surprise," said Adams, who batted .288 with 14 doubles, two homers and 25 RBIs in 59 games at Single-A Frederick last season. "They just pulled me off the field (yesterday) and told me they were sending me here. It was a pretty cool feeling." Adams is here because Brian Roberts still isn't ready to...

Turner update

March 24, 2010, 11:12am

Justin Turner is moving gingerly through the clubhouse with his left foot wrapped after being hit by a Garrett Atkins line drive during batting practice before Friday night's game. Turner is hoping that he'll be cleared to play tomorrow. "It's getting better," he said. "It's still a little swollen. The swelling went down a little in my toes. Basically, I'll try to be as active as possible and keep all my muscles down there active so they don't quit on me. Hopefully play some catch...

Red Sox lineup and pre-game notes

March 24, 2010, 11:12am

For the Red Sox: Jacoby Ellsbury CF J.D. Drew RF Victor Martinez C David Ortiz DH Jeremy Hermida LF Jed Lowrie 3B Tug Hulett 2B Yamaico Navarro SS Aaron Bates 1B Clay Buchholz RHP Brad Bergesen completed another live batting practice session and is scheduled to start Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. Mike Gonzalez is expected to pitch today for the Orioles, along with starter Jeremy Guthrie and relievers Mark Hendrickson, Kam Mickolio, David Hernandez and Will...

Guthrie's first inning (updated)

March 24, 2010, 11:09am

Jeremy Guthrie threw 18 pitches in the first inning, nine for strikes. Guthrie struck out leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury and cleanup hitter David Ortiz. In between he retired J.D. Drew on a fly ball to the warning track in right and gave up a single to Victor Martinez. If you're watching the game, did you notice that Ortiz looks a lot thinner this spring? Former Orioles outfielder, Darnell McDonald, a first-round pick in 1997, is on the Red Sox's traveling squad. Update: Nick Markakis...

Guthrie's second inning (updated three times)

March 24, 2010, 11:08am

The Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and a walk, but they only scored once to tie the game. Jeremy Guthrie's pitch count is up to 46, including 27 strikes. Boston tied the game on Yamaico Navarro's chopper to third. Miguel Tejada ranged to his left and made a leaping stab before spinning and firing to first. Aaron Bates walked on a full count to load the bases again, but Jacoby Ellsbury popped to third. J.D. Drew lined to right fielder Nick Markakis, and Guthrie made it...

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ironbirds

Guthrie's done for the day

March 24, 2010, 11:07am

The Orioles let Jeremy Guthrie face one batter in the third, and he retired Victor Martinez on a fly ball to center. Guthrie is charged with one run and three hits in 2 1/3 innings, with two walks and two strikeouts. He threw 51 pitches, 29 for strikes. Left-hander Chris George has replaced Guthrie. The Orioles wanted Guthrie to get up one more time, which explains why he came out for the third.

In-game update (with update)

March 24, 2010, 11:06am

Mark Hendrickson tossed a perfect fourth inning, getting two fly balls and a sparkling defensive play from second baseman Miguel Abreu. Abreu made a diving stop and throw to retire Tug Hulett. He pumped his fist as the out was recorded, took the return throw from first baseman Garrett Atkins and whipped the ball into the Red Sox's dugout. You can't give him an error on that one. Luke Scott singled with two outs in the third, but Atkins struck out. The Orioles went down in order in the...

Guthrie on Guthrie (updated)

March 24, 2010, 11:04am

Miguel Abreu singled in the sixth inning, stole second and scored on Pedro Florimon's double. Orioles 4, Red Sox 1. Nice day for Abreu. I'll pass along some comments from Jeremy Guthrie: "I threw a lot of good pitches, I felt like that second inning, the umpire (John Hirschbeck) was back and forth. It was a strike one time, it was a ball another time. Matt (Wieters) said two or three of those pitches called balls were strikes, including that first walk to that lefty (Tug Hulett). But I...