masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles reliever Evan Phillips tossed a scoreless inning yesterday against the Braves at Ed Smith Stadium to lower his spring ERA to 16.20.
He didn’t pass out cupcakes to celebrate it, but the outing was a vast improvement over Sunday’s debut, when he recorded only two outs in the ninth inning and was charged with three runs. He kept going to three-ball counts and reached his pitch limit.
Phillips walked the leadoff batter yesterday but also recorded a strikeout and got away…

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles reliever Evan Phillips tossed a scoreless inning yesterday against the Braves at Ed Smith Stadium to lower his spring ERA to 16.20.

He didn’t pass out cupcakes to celebrate it, but the outing was a vast improvement over Sunday’s debut, when he recorded only two outs in the ninth inning and was charged with three runs. He kept going to three-ball counts and reached his pitch limit.

Phillips-and-Rutschman-Shake-sidebar.jpgPhillips walked the leadoff batter yesterday but also recorded a strikeout and got away unscathed. Much, much better.

“Leadoff walks, not my favorite,” said manager Brandon Hyde, “but I liked the way he came back after that and showed some good stuff.”

Branden Kline followed Evans and retired all three batters faced. He struck out Jack Lopez to begin the inning and got a ground ball and popup.

Eric Hanhold recorded the save with a scoreless ninth to close out a 4-3 win. A leadoff single was followed by a strikeout, line out and called third strike.

“I liked the way Kline threw the ball,” Hyde said. “Loved the way Hanhold threw the ball right there. So we had some pretty good things on the mound.”

* Infielder Andrew Velazquez was a late arrival to camp after the Orioles claimed him off waivers Feb. 19, but he’s in the thick of the utility competition.

Being above-average at shortstop can tilt the scale favorably and Velazquez put on a show yesterday in the first couple of innings. He ranged up the middle in the first and made a diving stop and throw to rob Adeiny Hechavarría and raced far to his right in the second to make a backhanded stop at the edge of the outfield grass as Ozzie Albies reached on an infield hit.

The script flipped in the fifth when Velazquez fielded Peter O’Brien’s ground ball and bounced a throw past Rio Riuz.

Catcher Pedro Severino picked off O’Brien, with Velazquez sneaking back to the bag and making the tag.

“I thought he played well,” Hyde said. “He had that one error I know he’d like to have back, but that play up the middle, he showed some nice range on it and it’s a guy that we’re going to continue to play and learn about.

“He had, like, five days off after Cleveland let him go and so he’s kind of getting back in the swing of things now. I think you’ll see him get more comfortable as we go along here.”

* Hyde doesn’t know when he’ll make the first round of cuts.

“We haven’t discussed it yet,” he said. “Minor league camp starts late this year, so we’ll figure that out. Right now we’re not even close.”

Pitchers and catchers report to Twin Lakes Park on March 4 and position players are due four days later, but the current head count already exceeds 50.

* Former Orioles outfielder Henry Urrutia stopped by the Ed Smith Stadium complex yesterday, waving to me as he walked into the baseball operations building. I wondered, of course, if I had a nice little scoop.

Nope. Just a quick chat later with a player who keeps in touch with occasional text messages.

Urrutia, who turned 33 earlier this month, was picking up a couple pairs of gray uniform pants. He’s preparing for his third season in the Mexican League, unable to find a job in the United States.

I’m sure that they have pants there, but he was in the area and also used the opportunity to visit with friends.

Urrutia really wants to come back to the Orioles and sent them video of his work at first base, but nothing came of it.

I’m still amazed at how quickly he learned to speak English after defecting from Cuba. He worked hard at it, making it a priority, and communicating with him now is easy.

He has a better grasp of the language than I do.