masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgBrian Matusz completed five innings today, easily the best performance by an Orioles starter this spring.

Raul Ibanez flied to left on a 1-2 pitch. Shane Victorino and Juan Castro bounced to short on 2-2 pitches.

Matusz threw 14 pitches, nine for strikes. He’s thrown 57 pitches today, 41 for strikes.

Does he come out for the sixth?

The bullpen is stirring.

Update: Josh Bell walked with one out, and doubles by Chad Moeller and Robert Andino have tied the game, 1-1.

That’s right, only…Brian Matusz completed five innings today, easily the best performance by an Orioles starter this spring.

Raul Ibanez flied to left on a 1-2 pitch. Shane Victorino and Juan Castro bounced to short on 2-2 pitches.

Matusz threw 14 pitches, nine for strikes. He’s thrown 57 pitches today, 41 for strikes.

Does he come out for the sixth?

The bullpen is stirring.

Update: Josh Bell walked with one out, and doubles by Chad Moeller and Robert Andino have tied the game, 1-1.

That’s right, only one run scored on a walk and two doubles.

Bell should have scored on Moeller’s double, but he had to hold at third. Moeller should have scored easily on Andino’s double – the ball slammed off the fence in left-center – but he only reached third.

Not the kind of baserunning you want to see.

Moeller, who stood at second as Andino’s ball came within a few feet of clearing the fence, gestured an apology to the Orioles’ infielder after reaching third.

The Orioles have taken a 3-1 lead on Cesar Izturis’ grounder and a wild pitch. Andino raced home as the ball scooted past catcher Dane Sardinha. I almost expected him to hold at third, given the tone of the inning.