masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgIn his first start of the year last night, catcher Caleb Joseph had a big impact on the Orioles’ 4-2 win. He caught three pitchers who combined to give up just two runs, no walks and 12 strikeouts.
He also threw out two runners trying to steal second base, including pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez with Dylan Bundy on the mound nursing a one-run lead in the top of the eighth.
“Big,” Joseph said this afternoon. “You work on it all spring, but you can’t simulate that game speed and that game…

In his first start of the year last night, catcher Caleb Joseph had a big impact on the Orioles’ 4-2 win. He caught three pitchers who combined to give up just two runs, no walks and 12 strikeouts.

He also threw out two runners trying to steal second base, including pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez with Dylan Bundy on the mound nursing a one-run lead in the top of the eighth.

“Big,” Joseph said this afternoon. “You work on it all spring, but you can’t simulate that game speed and that game action. You’ve got adrenaline going and that can take over sometimes and you sail a ball. But, Ubaldo (Jimenez) and Dylan gave me a good chance there. Sometimes one of the biggest turning points in the game is a caught stealing.

“Ubaldo deserved a win. Early on he made a lot of good pitches (but) he didn’t get rewarded for it. But he did later in the game. It was actually the first time we worked together since last year so there were some nerves.”

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Jimenez allowed just two runs (one earned) over seven innings to get his first 2016 win. In 194 career innings pitching to Joseph, Jimenez has an ERA of 2.92 and average against of .236.

“I wish I could take credit for it,” Joseph said. “He’s the one throwing the ball. Ubaldo has a really specific game plan. He really knows what he wants to throw.

“Kevin Millwood once told me, ‘All you are back there, big guy, is a glorified suggestion box.’ I’m just throwing out suggestions there and hopefully they are what he is thinking. Knowing where to set up and knowing where he needs to miss with the sinker especially has been key. It took me almost a year to figure that out. You saw some of that last year when we were able to make some good pitches with the sinker.”

O’s pitchers worked to an ERA of 1.67 in the series with the Twins. The starters gave up just two earned runs over 14 innings. In the three games, O’s pitching fanned 35 and walked six.

The Orioles staff got a lot of strikeouts against Minnesota by throwing elevated fastballs and getting Twins hitters to chase those pitches. Joseph said the pitchers executed the game plan.

“They had quite a few guys that were vulnerable to the fastball up,” he said. “Especially after some pitches down in the dirt. And that is just changing eye levels. Basic pitching 101 is mixing speeds and changing eye levels.”

So after a spring where the O’s didn’t pitch well on the stat sheet, the staff comes out with three well-pitched games to start the year.

“You know I was thinking on the way home last night, why is spring training so deceiving? Just really couldn’t put my finger on a reason,” Joseph said. “Just know a lot of these guys, they’re getting older and they understand what they need to do. As long as their pitches are moving where they need them, they know when the real lights come on they’ll have some extra behind it. Maybe that breaking ball breaks a little sharper and the split really takes a downward spiral there. Who knows? But we’ve been really impressed and excited about what they’ve done so far and we’ve believed in them since day one. Everybody else can say whatever they want. We like our guys.”