masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgJeremy Guthrie lost his fifth consecutive start tonight despite dominating in the middle innings.

I thought the location was better later in the game,” he said. “I made terrible pitches with the slider, especially in the inning that hurt me. I didn’t really make great ones with it later on, so I just pretty much tried to quit throwing it.

“Pitch execution was definitely the biggest difference between the second and the other innings.”

The Marlins jumped Guthrie for four runs in the…Jeremy Guthrie lost his fifth consecutive start tonight despite dominating in the middle innings.

I thought the location was better later in the game,” he said. “I made terrible pitches with the slider, especially in the inning that hurt me. I didn’t really make great ones with it later on, so I just pretty much tried to quit throwing it.

“Pitch execution was definitely the biggest difference between the second and the other innings.”

The Marlins jumped Guthrie for four runs in the second, but didn’t score again until the seventh.

“Gave up a zero today in the first, which I know is big,” he said. “No home runs, which is big. So now we’ll work on the second inning.”

Asked what made him better in the third through sixth innings, Guthrie replied, “I thought the fastball location, that’s really what, for the most part, was working better.”

And what about both benches being warned after Guthrie hit Jorge Cantu in the second?

“The situation probably looks bad,” Guthrie said. “They get a few runs like that and the ball gets away inside. It’s not surprising. It doesn’t affect the way I approach the game. I am still going to throw inside. It is still a part of my game. It wasn’t a big deal.”

Down on the farm, Tim Bascom picked up his first Triple-A win in Norfolk’s 9-4 victory over Lehigh Valley. He allowed two runs and six hits, walked one and struck out five.

Armando Gabino tossed two scoreless innings, striking out three. He threw 17 of his 22 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 2.36.

Jim Miller also had a scoreless inning, but left-hander Alberto Castillo gave up two runs and two hits in one inning, with one walk and one strikeout. He also hit a batter.

Robert Andino, starting again at second base, went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Jeff Salazar was 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Josh Bell and Rhyne Hughes each had two hits, but Nolan Reimold went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts while making a rare start at first base.