The Bradenton Bunch

The Bradenton Bunch

We have another night game, this time in Pirate City, which means the lineup won't be posted until 2 p.m. I'm told Bradenton is the shortest trip of the spring, about 15 minutes from the Orioles' complex. The Pirates worked out and dressed at their home site before heading here last week, but the Orioles will wait until they arrive at McKechnie Field. Robert-Andino_Home-Tall.jpg Brad Bergesen makes his first exhibition start, and he's slated to go two innings or throw 35 pitches. The Orioles will get another look at Zach Duke. Mark Hendrickson, Will Ohman and Kam Mickolio also are scheduled to pitch tonight, and Matt Albers is a possibility. He's getting an extra days rest after throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings on Saturday. We're still waiting to see Luis Lebron again. Manager Dave Trembley raved about the kid, but he hasn't pitched since Friday night. The Pirates' list of non-roster invitees includes Brian Bass and Brian Burres. In case you get them confused, Burres is the lefty. Since I'm jumping all over the place here, I'll also point out that Robert Andino is off to a slow start. He's 1-for-14 with an RBI since homering in the intrasquad game, and he's had trouble tracking a few popups at second base. Andino remains the favorite to win the utility job. It's unfortunate for Justin Turner that shortstop is his third-best postition in the infield after second and third base, according to scouts who have watched him play. Andino's value lies in his ability to back up Cesar Izturis. If you're wondering about Blake Davis, he's 2-for-11 in seven games. He also committed an error at shortstop yesterday, but it's still early. We're only one week into the schedule. There are still plenty of games to be played.



Post-game notes and Trembley
Second to none