masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles catcher Matt Wieters talked about his home run off Rays reliever J.P. Howell that gave the Orioles a 4-2 victory.

“I think it was a changeup,” he said. “Jonesy did a good job over at first base distracting to where I thought I was going to get something up because you don’t want to throw something in the dirt and let the go-ahead run get to second base. So I was able to just get a changeup up in the zone and just tried to get a swing on it.”

Matt Wieters joins Jim and Rick to…Orioles catcher Matt Wieters talked about his home run off Rays reliever J.P. Howell that gave the Orioles a 4-2 victory.

“I think it was a changeup,” he said. “Jonesy did a good job over at first base distracting to where I thought I was going to get something up because you don’t want to throw something in the dirt and let the go-ahead run get to second base. So I was able to just get a changeup up in the zone and just tried to get a swing on it.”

Matt Wieters joins Jim and Rick to discuss his go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning of the O’s 4-2 win

Wieters tends to hit his home runs in bunches.

“I wish I could figure out what that difference was, but no,” he said. “It’s just go out there and keep playing and be able to get some pitches to hit hard.”

Wieters was behind the plate for Alfredo Simon, who retired 12 in a row after the Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the second.

“He had his good sinker going,” Wieters said. “He’s got an outstanding sinker and when we can get to it, show that we’re going to throw strikes early, it’s real effective. That sinker’s something that’s a swing-and-miss pitch and he can really lean on it when he gets in trouble.”

So how can Simon become more consistent?

“It’s just throwing strikes,” Wieters said. “His stuff speaks for itself, and once he can establish strikes early in the game, he can get them to chase some pitches that might be out of the zone. Strike one is big for any pitcher, but it’s especially big for him.”

The Orioles are reduced to being spoilers again, and they handed the Rays a big loss tonight.

“We’re playing some teams at the end of the year that are playing for important parts in the playoffs, so they’re going to bring their A game, and anytime you can go out there and get a win, it’s going to help your confidence going into next year,” Wieters said.

“I don’t think we’re really playing the spoiler. We’re just trying to play as well as we can against teams that are going to the playoffs. They can fight it out and go for the playoffs. We’re just going to try and get better and keep working.”