After yesterday’s 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers, the Orioles pitching staff came out today with a bit more flair, only allowing two runs in the game as the O’s went on to win, 8-2. Jake Arrieta started for the Birds, and though he let up eight hits in his four innings, he was able to strike out six while only allowing two runs. His stuff definitely looked sharper than his previous few outings, and you can tell he is working on hitting the corners and staying low with his fastball. While his breaking ball was a good strike three pitch for him, the fast ball was located on the edges where batters were able to make contact, though the ball never left the yard. The command was definitely there today, as Arrieta walked none.
Jeremy Accardo followed Arrieta with two shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk. Jason Berken followed with a perfect inning, while Chris Jakubauskas, recently optioned down to minor league camp, came in the game to throw two strong innings in which he let up three hits, struck out two, and allowed no runs.
The Orioles bats definitely dropped some nice hits today, hitting fourteen total on the day. Trailing 2-0 in the 4th inning, Nick Markakis started the scoring off with an RBI single off of Pirates starter Kevin Correia. Following Markakis, Vladimir Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly and Mark Reynolds scored Markakis on an RBI single.
Up in the 5th inning, Randy Winn hit a solo shot opposite field, giving him his first homerun in Spring Training. Jake Fox hit his 4th homerun of the spring in the 7th inning, while Nolan Reimold and Matt Angle followed him up with RBI hits in the inning, raising the score to 7-2.
Nick Green, hitting .078 coming into the game with no RBIs, hit a blast off of Scott Olsen in the 8th that went over the picnic tables in left field at Ed Smith Stadium, increasing the O’s lead to 8-2.
The Orioles take on the Houston Astros tomorrow in Sarasota, their 3rd home game in a row.
