The Orioles are finishing up their final week of exhibition baseball on a strong note. They played a split squad schedule, as they played two games – one against the Red Sox in Sarasota, the other against the Blue Jays on the road.
Against Boston, they got a 4-3 win thanks to a three-run, eighth inning as Matt Wieters had a two-run single, followed up by a Ryan Adams RBI-single. Nick Markakis drove in a run in the third inning with a single.
Chris Tillman continued his bid for a starting spot in the rotation as he had an up-and-down outing, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs. He walked four and allowed six hits against a Red Sox team with most of their regular starters.
Opening Day starter for the Orioles, Jeremy Guthrie had a tough day on the mound against the Blue Jays on the road. Toronto would win the game 9-5 as Guthrie allowed twelve hits in five innings and gave up four runs.
Pat Egan, who came into the game to relieve Guthrie took the loss as he gave up three runs in an inning of work.
Felix Pie had a 2-for-4 day and drove in a run. Robert Andino also had two hits; meanwhile, Nick Green homered and drove in two.
The Jays teed off on Oriole pitching as Rajai David was perfect at the plate, going 5-for-5; Aaron Hill has three hits and Yunel Escobar homered – a two-run shot – plus drove in five.
Well, the silly Buck Showalter comments continue to reverberate with the teams north of Baltimore on the I-95 corridor. Of course, we’re talking about the Yankees and Red Sox.
This morning, Red Sox manager Terry Francona wasn’t very pleased with Buck expressing himself in the now infamous Men’s Journal article and Derek Jeter had some sardonic remarks in his response with ESPN.
But I’m a little surprised that this all was on Francona’s mind. He sure had a lot to say…
Red Sox manager Terry Francona came to the defense of general manager Theo Epstein this morning in the wake of critical comments made by Orioles manager Buck Showalter.
In the April edition of Men’s Journal magazine, Showalter questioned the intelligence of Epstein, saying the Red Sox were a product of their large payroll.
“I got asked that the other day and I hadn’t seen it. I got it third-hand and I kind of joked about it a little bit. Then I read it and actually I was kind of aggravated a little bit,” Francona said. “I don’t think that’s anybody’s place. That’s my boss. I was actually kind of aggravated a little bit. It’s not the end of the world, but I thought he shouldn’t have done it.
Was Francona surprised?
“Yeah. I can’t say I sat there and thought about it a lot. But I didn’t see any reason to do that,” he said.
(snip)
Francona was told the Orioles were 3-3 against the Red Sox last season.
“Way to go,” he said sarcastically.
Francona said he does not plan to speak to Showalter about the controversy. But clearly it rankled him.
“I just thought that was a little bit out of line,” he said. “I don’t think he’d be appreciating if I said something about Andy [MacPhail, Baltimore’s president of baseball operations], which I wouldn’t. It’s none of my business. And for the record, I think Andy’s really good.”
Showalter, according to the Boston Globe, reached out to Francona and said his piece.
It’s amazing how Showalter’s quotes have stayed in the news. Of course, the Boston and New York media have an insatiable appetite for sports and quotable material, so it is what it is.
It’s good for us fans and the media.
