Bell starting at first base
Bell starting at first base
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. - Josh Bell played first base in the ninth inning of Tuesday's home exhibition opener. Today, Bell will make his first start there. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Luke Scott LF Vladimir Guerrero DH Mark Reynolds 3B Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Josh Bell 1B Brian Matusz LHP
Fox talks about Britton
Fox talks about Britton
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Minnesota Twins are coming here from Fort Myers. Better that they make the trip than me. The lineup hasn't been posted, and the Orioles closed the clubhouse to the media at 8:30 a.m. for a players association meeting. Bobby Bonilla and Phil Bradley are in the house. Left-hander Brian Matusz is starting for the Orioles today. Adrian Rosario, Kevin Gregg, Koji Uehara, Jeremy Accardo, Clay Rapada and Josh Rupe also are slated to pitch. The Twins are sending pitchers Carl...
It's the bullpen for O's third-round pick Dan Klein
It's the bullpen for O's third-round pick Dan Klein
Steve Melewski
Orioles
If you were under the impression, as I was, that O's pitching prospect Dan Klein would be used as a starting pitcher this year, that is not the case. The decision has been made to use Klein, the O's third-round pick in the draft last June, out of the bullpen this season in the minor leagues. The biggest factor seems to be the fact that Klein pitched just 58 1/3 innings last year. The O's don't feel he can or should be asked to handle the number of innings needed for a starting pitcher...
Orioles hang on for 6-5 win
Orioles hang on for 6-5 win
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies homered twice off left-hander Nick Bierbrodt in the bottom of the ninth, and another run scored on Chris Jakubauskas' wild pitch, but the tying run was stranded on second base. Orioles 6, Phillies 5. Manager Buck Showalter must have really wanted this win. He removed Bierbrodt with one out and a runner on third, and his last two relievers were warming up in the bullpen. He didn't need Mike Ballard or Chris George. Jakubauskas retired Harold Garcia and...
Game update and Tillman
Game update and Tillman
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Brian Bass pitched the eighth inning for the Phillies, and his former team loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Robert Andino, Brandon Snyder and Pedro Florimon. Matt Angle's bouncer to first scored Andino for a 6-1 lead. Michael Gonzalez and Jim Johnson each threw a scoreless inning. Pedro Viola is pitching the bottom of the eighth, and he just gave up a run on Delwyn Young's single. Orioles 6, Phillies 2. Chris Tillman said he was a little too "jumpy" on the...
Britton battled Phillies and nerves
Britton battled Phillies and nerves
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Matt Wieters has three singles and two RBIs today. Felix Pie contributed a run-scoring double in the seventh, and Wieters delivered pinch-runner Nick Green for a 5-1 lead, though an interference call on the third baseman took away the RBI. Zach Britton walked into the hallway outside the visiting clubhouse, saw the five reporters waiting for him and brought up the elephant in the room. "Could you tell how nervous I was?" he asked with a grin. "I have no idea what...
Fox on the run (updated)
Fox on the run (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jake Fox homered, singled and drove in two runs in yesterday's home exhibition opener. Apparently, the bus ride didn't cool him off. Fox has singled twice today as the starting catcher. He played first base yesterday. Joe Mahoney is starting at first today, and he singled to right field in the fourth inning. Left-hander Zach Britton was a little too amped up in the third inning. He appeared to be overthrowing, and Fox made two trips to the mound to settle him...
Tillman shaky but resilient (updated)
Tillman shaky but resilient (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
CLEARWATER, Fla - Chris Tillman completed two innings today, and he got quite a workout. Tillman threw 42 pitches, 25 for strikes. He allowed one run and three hits, walked one and struck out one. The Phillies threatened in the second when John Mayberry Jr. doubled with one out and Brian Schneider walked. With Mark Worrell warming in the bullpen, Tillman got a fly ball and grounder to escape the jam. Tillman threw 21 pitches in each inning. It's common knowledge that Tillman needs to...
Talking Tillman and Samuel (updated)
Talking Tillman and Samuel (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Chris Tillman retired the first two batters he faced in the first inning, striking out Jimmy Rollins, but he's behind 1-0 as we move to the top of the second. Raul Ibanez singled with two outs and scored on Ryan Howard's double to right. The wind might have knocked down the ball and prevented it from landing on the hill beyond the fence. Tillman threw 21 pitches, 12 strikes. Randy Winn, who couldn't make a play on Howard's fly ball, led off the game with a walk, but...
Jim Callis and Joe Jordan on high school vs. college in the draft (with update)
Jim Callis and Joe Jordan on high school vs. college in the draft (with update)
Steve Melewski
Orioles
It's a topic that followers of the first year player draft in baseball have debated for years: Should a club draft more high school players that may have a higher ceiling with their talent or more college players that they have scouted more and are closer to the majors? In the recent listing by Baseball America of its top 100 prospects in the game, there was some interesting math worth discussing. Of the game's current top 100 prospects on that list, 50 were drafted out of high school and...