The Countdown Continues...

It's only been a few days since my last post, but the Birds have won the last two of three and are now back to .500 with an 11-11-2 record this spring. With just one week of Spring Training games left on the schedule, the countdown to Opening Day continues. Here's a brief recap of the past three games...





Game Twenty-Two (Saturday 3/19/11):

• The O's led early but fell late, losing 7-5 to the Philadelphia Phillies... Jake Arrieta turned in one of his poorest outings, giving up four runs on four hits and two walks through 4 1/3 innings, striking out two



• Vladimir Guerrero went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs



• Michael Gonzalez was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in just an inning of work...Gonzalez's three outs all came via the strikeout

Game Twenty-Three (Sunday 3/20/11):

• The Birds out-slugged the Rays in a 9-8 victory...Brad Bergesen turned in one of his better performances this spring, allowing two runs on eight hits over five innings while walking one and striking out one


• The O's used three-run outbursts in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a commanding 7-2 lead before reliever Ryan Drese allowed six runs to cross the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Drese allowed six runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter in just 1 2/3 innings and hurt his already slim chance of making the Opening Day roster


• Brian Roberts went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout in his first game back since March 7th


• Nick Markakis went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs


• The Birds went ahead for good in the ninth when Nick Green laced a bases-loaded, two out two-run single...before his game-winning hit, Green had gone 3-for-27 with 13 strikeouts this season

Game Twenty-Four (Tuesday 3/22/11):

• Just call Zach Britton the "Yankee Killer." Britton (2-0) gave up his first run of the spring but held New York to just one run on six hits and a walk over five innings while fanning five. Britton has now pitched eight innings against the Yankees, allowing just one run on eight hits
• The O's backed Britton up with three homers...Jake Fox launched his league-leading eighth home run in the third inning, Luke Scott followed with his first long ball of the season, a mammoth two-run blast, and J.J. Hardy connected for a solo shot in the fourth
• Brian Roberts went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in his second game back
• Jason Berken impressed with two hitless innings of relief, walking one and striking out one

Bird Bites...

• Justin Duchscherer still has a chance to make the starting rotation...he's scheduled to throw a bullpen session later today...there's a chance the Birds will use a four-man rotation through the first two weeks of the season, putting "The Duke" on track to start in mid-April
• Derrek Lee went 0-for-2 on Tuesday and may start at first base later today...

On Deck...

The Birds battle the Minnesota Twins at 7:05 pm. Brian Matusz is scheduled to start for the O's.