ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Tigers 5, Orioles 4 Recap: J.J. Hardy had both Orioles hits before leaving the game for a pinch-runner in the sixth inning. Ryan Flaherty singled in the seventh. The Orioles scored three runs in the eighth on Dariel Alvarez's RBI single and Nolan Reimold's two-run single. Jayson Nix hit a two-out homer in the ninth, the Orioles' first longball of the spring. Kevin Gausman faced three batters in a scoreless first inning, allowing a leadoff single to Anthony Gose,...

The Orioles today announced that they have named Ramon Martinez as Special Assignment Pitching Instructor. Martinez will concentrate on developing Latin American pitchers throughout the organization. Martinez, 46, pitched 14 seasons in the Major Leagues, spending time with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1988-98), Boston Red Sox (1999-00), and Pittsburgh Pirates (2001) organizations. Over 301 games (297 starts), he went 135-88 with a 3.67 ERA (1895.2IP, 772ER). He won a career-high 20 games with the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman worked only one inning today, throwing 10 of his 16 pitches for strikes by my unofficial count in a scoreless first. Gausman's fastball touched 96 mph on multiple pitches. He allowed a leadoff single to Anthony Gose before getting a double play grounder from Jose Iglesias and striking out J.D. Martinez, who froze on a 96 mph heater. Gausman was ahead of Gose 1-2 before the Tigers designated hitter lined a single up the middle. J.J. Hardy reached on an infield hit...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman and Bud Norris aren't scheduled to pitch in an exhibition game before the weekend due to the amount of innings they logged last season as the Orioles reached the American League Championship Series. Showalter said he pushed them back and provided extra work days because of the "extra load in October last year." Tillman told me that he's starting on Monday against the Phillies in Sarasota, but the Orioles haven't confirmed it. Norris could start this weekend....

SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander T.J. McFarland and right-hander Dylan Bundy will follow starter Kevin Gausman to the mound today in the Orioles' home exhibition opener against the Tigers. Mike Wright is listed as the Orioles' starter Friday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. Toronto is starting knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Another reminder that left-hander Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez are starting the two split-squad games on Thursday. The Rays are starting Nathan Karns in Port Charlotte and...

VIERA, Fla. - Just one more day of practice left before the Mets visit Space Coast Stadium for the Nats' Grapefruit League opener. Nationals manager Matt Williams revealed yesterday that Max Scherzer will take the mound first on Thursday followed by Tanner Roark, each throwing two innings or around 45 pitches. This morning, we found out the other pitchers who could also pitch against the Mets: right-handers Blake Treinen, Heath Bell, Aaron Barrett, Eric Fornataro and Rafael Martin, and...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles reliever Brian Matusz had a cortisone injection in his right shoulder on Monday to alleviate the discomfort caused by a strained AC joint. The concern is minimal because it's Matusz's non-throwing arm. However, the pain was affecting his ability to work out. Matusz said the strain occurred about six weeks ago while he was bench pressing as part of his offseason conditioning program. "It's something that hasn't affected anything on the baseball field, but in the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Alejandro De Aza is leading off and playing right field today for the Orioles in their home exhibition opener against the Tigers. Matt Wieters is serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup. J.J. Hardy is batting second. Delmon Young is starting in left field. Caleb Joseph is behind the plate. Still no baby. For the Orioles Alejandro De Aza RF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters DH Chris Davis 1B Delmon Young LF Manny Machado 3B Ryan Flaherty 2B Caleb Joseph...

VIERA, Fla. - Rick Ankiel returned to the field with the Nationals on Tuesday - not as a player, but as the minor league life skills coordinator, a new position created within the organization. By the time Ankiel reached the Nationals in 2011, he had already made one of the most resilient comebacks in baseball in the last 50 years. Ankiel made his debut in the majors at 20 and started Game 1 of the National League Division Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. That's when it all fell apart for...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter admitted yesterday that he was scrambling for ways to sound positive about his team's performance in its exhibition opener. Shovel in hand, he kept digging through the rubble of a 15-2 loss to the Tigers. "I'm sure Jonesy and those guys will have some choice words in the morning," Showalter said, anticipating the barbs coming from Adam Jones and other veterans who stayed back at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Henry Urrutia, who's been working...