Matusz's fourth inning
Matusz's fourth inning
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Brian Matusz finally gave up a run in the fourth inning on two hits. Jimmy Rollins doubled off the left field fence leading off the inning. He took third on Placido Polanco's fly ball to right and scored on Chase Utley's grounder into right on an 0-2 pitch. The ball wasn't hit hard, but it got through. Ryan Howard flied to right on the next pitch, and Jayson Werth shattered his bat on a weak pop up to first. Matusz's first eight pitches were strikes. He ended up throwing only one ball...
Matusz's fifth inning (updated twice)
Matusz's fifth inning (updated twice)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
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...
Matusz on Matusz (updated)
Matusz on Matusz (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Today's attendance: 8,092, a record for the largest baseball crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, breaking the mark of 8,088 set earlier this spring. I didn't think they could squeeze in four more people. Brian Matusz didn't realize that the Philies brought their A lineup to today's game until he heard it recited over the PA system. "I was warming up in the bullpen and I hear the roster and I'm thinking, 'Well, that's everyone. Looks like they traveled with the whole team,'" he said. "I...
Matusz done for the day
Matusz done for the day
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Kam Mickolio has replaced Brian Matusz to start the sixth inning. Matusz is charged with one run and three hits, with no walks and two strikeouts. He threw 57 pitches, 41 strikes. The Phillies' 4 through 8 hitters were a combined 0-for-10 with two strikeouts. That group includes Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino. I'll pass along quotes from Matusz once he's done running and is made available to the media. He's one of the best interviews out there, so he won't...
More Matusz on Matusz (updated)
More Matusz on Matusz (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Brian Matusz didn't know his pitch count when Rick Kranitz instructed him to go back out for the fifth inning. The plan was four innings. His count must have been low. "If I can keep getting ahead of hitters and doing that, I can go deep into games, and that's what's really important," he said. "I didn't have any three-ball counts today. I had a couple two-ball counts, but I didn't have any three-ball counts and I didn't walk anybody, so that's a positive. It means I'm really...
Trembley tackles topics
Trembley tackles topics
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Koji Uehara picked up the save in a 4-3 victory over the Phillies, getting a 9-3 double play to end it. Miguel Abreu, who keeps moving around, made the catch and throw in right field. Manager Dave Trembley said he planned to remove Nolan Reimold after two at-bats. It didn't happen because Reimold's Achilles forced him from the game. "Reimold ran much better yesterday. I got a very good report on Reimold ," Trembley said. "He got some new orthotics yesterday, so he's a lot more...
MacPhail talks about Roberts
MacPhail talks about Roberts
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he isn't sure whether the latest news on Brian Roberts is a setback until the club hears from Dr. Lee Riley, a back specialist at Johns Hopkins, "but clearly our preference would be to have him out on the field." MacPhail repeated that he's alerted his scouts to be on the lookout for a potential replacement at second base, something he first told reporters on Tuesday when he admitted to having concerns about Roberts' availability for the...
More post-game chatter
More post-game chatter
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Manager Dave Trembley hasn't shown a hint of concern over the rotation's inability to reach its innings limit before today, but it had to be satisfying to sit in the dugout and watch Brian Matusz make it through the fifth. "It sets the tone," he said. "That's what the good ones do, they set the tone, and he did today. In order for us to be successful, we're going to have to have good starting pitching. We're going to have it on a consistent basis." Matusz held the Phillies' potent...
Orioles lineup
Orioles lineup
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Jonathan Tucker CF Justin Turner 3B Lou Montanez LF Luke Scott DH Ty Wigginton 2B Jeff Salazar RF Brandon Snyder 1B Craig Tatum C Pedro Florimon SS Brad Bergesen RHP Also scheduled to pitch: Chris Tillman, Mark Hendrickson, Cla Meredith and Alfredo Simon. Not exactly the A lineup for this Fort Myers trip. Scott is the only player you could classify as a starter.
Pie update
Pie update
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles will be taking their swings against Tim Wakefield, Brian Shouse, Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima. Good luck. The club is expected to make some cuts this morning. Felix Pie said his left shoulder feels "much better." He'll do exercises today and attempt to hit and throw tomorrow before returning to the lineup. "The pain is almost gone," he said. Pie was diagnosed with tendinitis in his shoulder after lifting too much weight while working out. "It has to calm down,"...