OK...do you want the good news or the bad news first?
Let's start with the good news: the Orioles took down the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Friday night. Jeremy Guthrie was magnificent, pitching eight solid shut-out innings and allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out six. Guthrie (1-0) retired 14 straight Rays at one point and really looked impressive after a mediocre spring.
Guthrie was pulled after 94 pitches, and Jim Johnson came on to start the ninth...Johnson's first pitch sailed over the right field fence, and you could sense the crowd getting back into it (remember last season the 'pen imploded in the ninth in this very same stadium on Opening Night). Johnson settled down and got three quick outs (two on strikeouts) to preserve the "W" for Guthrie.
Offensively, the Birds were held to just five hits and a walk but managed to plate four runs. J.J. Hardy got things going when he doubled in the third inning, took third base on a throwing error and came home on a Nick Markakis' single. The big blow came in the fifth, when Brian Roberts slapped a two-run triple. Markakis followed with a sacrifice fly, giving Guthrie more than enough breathing room.
There was certainly a lot to celebrate after the game...but, the season changed drastically a few hours before the first pitch. Are you ready for the bad news?
Brian Matusz, the young lefty that was penciled in as the O's No. 2 pitcher this season, was placed on the 15-day DL. Matusz underwent an MRI before the game, which showed a, "strained intercostal muscle." Best-case scenario: he's out three weeks...but it could be as many as six weeks or more before Matusz takes the mound in an O's uniform.
This was a pretty big blow for the Orioles, considering that Justin Duchscherer is already on the DL and Brad Bergesen has been moved to the bullpen. As the saying goes though, when one door closes another one opens. Top pitching prospect Zach Britton will walk through that door when he arrives in Florida on Saturday. The Birds were planning on keeping Britton in Triple-A Norfolk until late April, securing another year of his service by waiting three weeks before calling him up to join the big boys. But with Matusz out, the team really had no choice but to bring Britton up early...
It was obvious to everyone that Britton was ready for the bigs. He was by far the most impressive pitcher during Spring Training, leading the team in wins and ERA. It was just a matter of business to hold him back, but he'll take the mound on Sunday afternoon in St. Petersburg for his MLB-debut.
Chris Tillman is now slated to start on Saturday night...let's make it two straight! Go O's!
No comments:
Post a Comment