Kevin Millwood has taken the mound for the top of the seventh inning, and he's showing no signs of surrendering the lead or the ball.
Millwood's thrown only 61 pitches, 42 for strikes.
One strike he'd like back is the long home run by Alex Gonzalez in the fourth inning.
Millwood has held the Blue Jays to three hits, but the Orioles have left seven runners on base and cling to a 2-1 lead.
We're debating who's going to pitch the ninth in a save situation. We know it won't be Mike...
Harrisburg 1-2-3 top 3rd including Strasburg at bat 3-1 groundout
Altoona Btm 3rd
Negrych
3-2
F-7
Hernandez
K
Presley
100mph K
total pitches 47 pitches, 31 K, BB 16
excellent control
0 runs, 0 hits, 2 K, 0 bb 5 total K retired 7 straight
after 3 innings
Altoona 1, Harrisburg 0.
It's becoming clear that Matt Wieters is much more comfortable behind the plate this year and is doing his job, as a catcher, of taking charge of the pitching staff.
Dave Trembley discussed Wieters during his pre-game press briefing today.
"There is not too much shaking (off) going on out there," he said. That means Wieters is putting down a sign for the pitch and his pitchers are trusting what he calls.
It's still a little different with Kevin Millwood. He's been around long enough...
Harrisburg top 2nd base hit by adam fox but did not score.
24 pitches for Strasburg in 1st
so he has 61 to 66 pitches left in pitch count
Altoona Bottom 2nd
Shelby Ford 1B
leftie
99mph fastball swing miss
4-3 groundout
Jose de los Santos SS
leftie
99mph fastball swing miss 0-1
foul pop behind 3rd 0-2
struck out swinging 85 mph breaking pitch K
Rudy Owens P
99mph
100mph fastball
swing miss K
32 pitches
0 runs 0 hits 2 K
After 2nd, Altoona 1, Harrisburg 0.
Harrisburg did not score Top 1st 1-2-3
Altoona Bottom 1st
Jim Negrych 2B
leftie
up high fastball 1-0 ball thrown out for sens to keep
1-1 foul tip
1-2 foul tip all fastballs
breaking ball 2-2
POP SS
1 out 5 pitches
Gorkys Hernandez CF
rightie
0-1 pop foul
5-3 groundout
2 pitches
Alex Presley LF
leftie
up high fastball outside 1-0
fastball outside 2-0
DOUBLE right field off wall
3 pitches
Miles Durham RF
rightie
base hit center field
rbi single
Altoona 1-0
Kris...
Starting lineups for Stephen Strasburg's debut in Altoona, PA:
Harrisburg
Michael Martinez 2B
Pedro Lopez SS
Leonard Davis CF
Chris Marrero QB
Jesus Valdez RF
Adam Fox 3B
Bill Rhinehart LF
Jhonatan Solano C
Stephen Strasburg P
Altoona
Jim Negrych 2B
Gorkys Hernandez CF
Alex Presley LF
Miles Durham RF
Kris Watts C
Josh Harrison 3B
Shelby Ford 1B
Jose de los Santos SS
Rudy Owens P
About 70 media on hand for Strasburg's debut. As he walked out to the left field bullpen area the line of...
Don't look now, but your cleanup hitter has six RBIs.
Miguel Tejada's one-out double in the first inning scored Adam Jones, who reached on an error. Nick Markakis raced home on Luke Scott's grounder. Both runs off Toronto starter Shaun Marcum are unearned.
Orioles 2, Blue Jays 0.
Anybody want to close out this game today? We're taking volunteers.
Tejada, by the way, is 6-for-13 with a homer and six RBIs with runners on base. He's 0-for-9 with the bases empty.
I just spoke with Harrisburg manager Randy Knorr. Strasburg is on an 85-90 pitch count and Jhonatan Solano will catch Stephen today, as he did a lot during spring training.
Randy, what are you looking for from Stephen today?
"I just want him to go out there and just get the first one over with, relax, and just be himself. I am going to look to see if he goes after it. I hope he is not hesitant. I just want him to go out there and pitch like Stephen can."
And Solano will catch for...
In a brief conversation a few minutes ago, O's president Andy MacPhail sounded like a man about to make a roster move that could send Brian Roberts to the disabled list officially later today.
"If we err, we'll err on the conservative side. Also, in the not too distant future we're going to hop on a plane from Baltimore to Oakland and from Oakland to Seattle and on to Boston. We are crossing the country twice, so that will play into our decision as well."
MacPhail doesn't believe...
Beautiful day here in Altoona, arrived about 15 minutes. There is a horseshoe curve outside Altoona for the railroad, that is why the team is called "Curve", but curveball works as well. The team was almost called Altoona "Fish".
Stephen Strasburg faces leftie Rudy Owens. The Sens looking for first win at 0-3. I will blog throughout the game so stay tuned to masnsports.com.
Heading down to the clubhouse, I will tell you what I can find out when I get down there. Looking to talk...