masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSARASOTA, Fla. – Jake Arrieta said he got “in a zone” after the first inning today after starting out “real sloppy.”

“I threw a lot of good pitches to (Andrew) McCutchen,” he said. “I missed the PFP there. That’s the thing I’m most upset about because I proud myself on that kind of stuff. Then, I just left a couple of pitches up. (Lyle) Overbay drove the ball to left, the same thing to (Neil) Walker. I just couldn’t execute pitches there. I’ve got to get the ball inside more to a…SARASOTA, Fla. – Jake Arrieta said he got “in a zone” after the first inning today after starting out “real sloppy.”

“I threw a lot of good pitches to (Andrew) McCutchen,” he said. “I missed the PFP there. That’s the thing I’m most upset about because I proud myself on that kind of stuff. Then, I just left a couple of pitches up. (Lyle) Overbay drove the ball to left, the same thing to (Neil) Walker. I just couldn’t execute pitches there. I’ve got to get the ball inside more to a guy like Overbay who likes to get extended.

“The second through the fifth, I really got comfortable, started throwing everything for strikes, my delivery was really good, I was staying on top of the ball. I’ve been working on a good changeup that I threw well tonight. The sixth inning, I talked to Goose (Mark Connor) and he said I was getting a little sloppy on my delivery, falling off to the first base side, which was causing me to cut off my pitches. That’s just one of those things I have to self-correct and try to get back on track when I feel something like that.

“I made a lot of strides. From the second to the fifth inning, I feel like I was throwing like I was in midseason form. That’s a good sign. I just have to iron out some kinks in the first inning, I have to attack better and stay down with the ball. When the wind is blowing out like it was early in the game, you have to be down, and I wasn’t down in the first. But I settled in after that.”

Former Oriole Garrett Olson gave up three runs in the seventh. Orioles 11, Pirates 4

Third-round pick Dan Klein (UCLA) is pitching the eighth for the Orioles.

Instant update: Klein has allowed a run on two hits and a walk. Still no outs. He’s also forgotten to back up third and home.

Brian Roberts is 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. J.J. Hardy is 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Derrek Lee is 1-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored. Mark Reynolds is 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Vladimir Guerrero is 2-for-4 with two RBIs.