Notes on rain delay, Cabrera and individual game tickets (delay update)

Notes on rain delay, Cabrera and individual game tickets (delay update)
DUNEDIN, Fla. - The tarp is on the field at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium and we're in a rain delay. The game may not start at all. Update: The Blue Jays are estimating first pitch at 2:45 p.m. Jose Bautista has been scratched from the lineup due to the field conditions. Orioles manager Buck Showalter received a call in his office from Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and a visit from the crew chief. The teams will attempt to wait it out. Everth Cabrera, batting second today, was thrown out...

Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays

Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays
SARASOTA, Fla. - Everth Cabrera is starting at second base and batting second today for the Orioles, who travel to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays. Alejandro De Aza remains atop the order, starting in right field. Travis Snider is in left field and batting cleanup while Henry Urrutia is serving as the designated hitter. Ryan Flaherty gets the start at shortstop. The bench includes catchers Steve Clevenger, Chance Sisco and Brian Ward, along with Rey Navarro, Jimmy Paredes, Michael Almanzar,...

Looking back and ahead

Looking back and ahead
SARASOTA, Fla. - After going from Sarasota to Port Charlotte and back to the Ed Smith Stadium complex yesterday and filing 10 blog entries, I'd expect the pace to slow down a bit today. Famous last words. I'd also anticipate going the entire day and night without writing about Suk-min Yoon except for this one reference. We'll always have spring training 2014. Time to let him go. It didn't work out. He's going to be much happier with the Kia Tigers. The Orioles aren't going to lose a...

Davis on his home run

Davis on his home run
SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Davis had a pretty good idea what was coming tonight when he launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning to break a scoreless tie. Manny Machado and Adam Jones singled. Davis stepped to the plate against Blue Jays right-hander Chad Jenkins with two outs. He worked the count to 2-0 and let it rip. "It was a fastball, I was looking for a fastball and the other two pitches were fastballs, so pretty consistent," he said after the Orioles' 5-0 win over the...

Davis hits three-run homer, Ripken meets with media (O's blank Jays 5-0)

Davis hits three-run homer, Ripken meets with media (O's blank Jays 5-0)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 5, Blue Jays 0 Recap: Chris Davis belted a long three-run homer in the third inning to break a scoreless tie and Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer in the seventh after striking out in his first two at-bats. Manny Machado singled twice from the leadoff spot. Miguel Gonzalez retired six of seven batters faced, just as Wei-Yin Chen did against the Rays earlier today in Port Charlotte. Darren O'Day struck out the side in the fourth and Zach Britton breezed...

Duquette on Yoon's release and game update

Duquette on Yoon's release and game update
SARASOTA, Fla. - Executive vice president Dan Duquette said pitcher Suk-min Yoon's camp contacted the Orioles about a month ago with a request to release him from the remainder of his contract. The Orioles obliged today, and in return, Yoon released the Orioles from any further financial obligation. The club saved $4.3 million, according to an industry source. "He was one of the top pitchers in Korea before he came here, and he wanted the opportunity to go there and pitch," Duquette said....

More notes and Blue Jays lineup (Yoon released)

More notes and Blue Jays lineup (Yoon released)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Michael Almanzar hit a tie-breaking home run today in the top of the ninth inning, and the Orioles registered their first spring win, 3-2 over the Rays in Port Charlotte. Mike Yastrzemski added a sacrifice fly. The Rays scored a run in the bottom of the ninth off Daniel Rodriguez. If you had Rodriguez earning the Orioles' first save this spring, go directly to the window and pick up your money. Pitcher Suk-min Yoon has reached agreement on a contract with Kia, his former team...

Machado: "It's great to be back out there"

Machado: "It's great to be back out there"
SARASOTA, Fla. - Tyler Wilson and Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia each threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts today against the Rays in Port Charlotte. Wilson allowed two hits and Garcia permitted one. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning, when left-hander Mark Hendrickson gave up a run on two hits. The Orioles tied it in the eighth on Rey Navarro's single that scored David Lough, who reached on an error. Update: Michael Almanzar homered in the top of the ninth to...

Notes on Suk-min Yoon and Bobby Bundy (and O's lineup vs. Jays)

Notes on Suk-min Yoon and Bobby Bundy (and O's lineup vs. Jays)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Wei-Yin Chen threw two scoreless innings today against the Rays in Port Charlotte, Fla. He allowed one hit, a double by John Jaso, and struck out one. Miguel Gonzalez also is expected to work two innings tonight if his pitch count allows it. The Orioles are trying to work out a deal to let pitcher Suk-min Yoon out of his contract, which contains two more years, according to a source. Yoon is returning to South Korea and presently has no intention of reporting to minor league...

Showalter on Yoon: "He's going to be fine"

Showalter on Yoon: "He's going to be fine"
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't have much to say about pitcher Suk-min Yoon, who has returned to Korea and apparently won't come back to Sarasota. Yoon has two years left on his contract and is unhappy that he wasn't invited to major league camp after the Orioles removed him from the 40-man roster in August. Asked for his reaction, Showalter said, "I can't. We've all got a reaction to everything." Told that Yoon is disappointed about not being in camp,...

Suk-min Yoon returning to South Korea (with Rays lineup)

Suk-min Yoon returning to South Korea (with Rays lineup)
SARASOTA, Fla. - It appears that the Orioles and Korean right-hander Suk-min Yoon are parting ways after one disappointing season in the minors. According to a report out of Korea, Yoon has left Los Angeles and returned home. I have confirmation that he's scheduled to report to minor league camp on Saturday, but it doesn't appear that he'll be returning to Sarasota. The Orioles signed Yoon to a three-year, $5.575 million contract last February, but the deal didn't pan out. Visa issues...

Orioles split-squad lineup vs. Rays

Orioles split-squad lineup vs. Rays
SARASOTA, Fla. - Most of the Orioles' regulars are staying back at the complex for tonight's split-squad game against the Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Alejandro De Aza, Travis Snider, Ryan Flaherty and Everth Cabrera have their bags packed for Port Charlotte for the 1 p.m. game against the Rays. De Aza is batting leadoff today, with Cabrera hitting behind him. Steve Clevenger is behind the plate, making his first start of the spring. For the OriolesAlejandro De Aza RFEverth Cabrera 2BSteve...

Orioles preparing for two games today in latest scheduling challenge

Orioles preparing for two games today in latest scheduling challenge
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles haven't been allowed to ease into their exhibition schedule this spring. Rather than stick their toe in the water, they basically have to get a running start and cannonball into the pool. The first day required a trip to Lakeland to play the Tigers. The Orioles already have split-squad games on tap today against the Rays in Port Charlotte and the Blue Jays in Sarasota, and they travel to Dunedin on Friday. If they had to rate their least favorite trips on the...

Showalter speaks after 5-4 loss in exhibition home opener (O's sign Beato)

Showalter speaks after 5-4 loss in exhibition home opener (O's sign Beato)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Bud Norris will make his first exhibition start for the Orioles on Saturday against the Red Sox in Sarasota. Ubaldo Jimenez returns to the mound on Sunday against the Twins in Fort Myers, and Chris Tillman makes his first start Monday against the Phillies in Sarasota. Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez will pitch Tuesday against the Yankees in Sarasota. I wrote earlier that Mike Wright is pitching Friday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, but here's a reminder. Playing in his...

Orioles hire Ramon Martinez, game update, Gausman quotes (O's lose 5-4)

Orioles hire Ramon Martinez, game update, Gausman quotes (O's lose 5-4)
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,...

Gausman tosses scoreless inning (with pictures and video)

Gausman tosses scoreless inning (with pictures and video)
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...

Showalter on Matusz, Rays starters, Arencibia and Jones (with photos)

Showalter on Matusz, Rays starters, Arencibia and Jones (with photos)
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....

More notes before today's home exhibition opener

More notes before today's home exhibition opener
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...

Health updates on Matusz and Janish

Health updates on Matusz and Janish
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...

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers
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...