BALTIMORE -- Orioles fans are getting adjusted to seeing a winner for the first time in 14 seasons. That's partly because of the adjustments Baltimore's young pitchers have made early in 2011.
Eight shutout innings from Jeremy Guthrie on Opening Day set the tone for a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay -- the first time the Orioles started a season by winning a three-game series on the road since 1970.
But it was the ability of starters Chris Tillman and Zach Britton to dominate without their best stuff that caught everyone's attention against the defending AL East champs.
Tillman, starting the season's second game as an emergency replacement for Brian Matusz (strained rib cage), pitched six no-hit innings before manager Buck Showalter pulled him after 101 pitches. Britton followed with six innings of three-hit, one-run ball, winning his major league debut 5-1 at Tampa Bay.
Tillman didn't have command of his best pitch, his four-seam fastball. Britton, a left-hander, couldn't make his generally reliable sinker sink.
"That's what young pitchers have to learn," says catcher Matt Wieters, who adopted Plan B in both cases. "You might have your best stuff 10 times a year, so you have 20 starts where you might not. Being able to go out on those nights, pitch well and still give your team a chance to win is huge."
Tillman, a 6-5 right-hander acquired along with Adam Jones in the Feb. 2008 trade involving Erik Bedard, says he's made his greatest strides in his ability to adapt. Although he went 11-7 at Class AAA Norfolk (Va.) last year, he's 4-10 in his first two big league seasons.
"Against Tampa, I was able to make the adjustments on the fly," he says. "That's something I've struggled with in the past. My secondary stuff (curveball, changeup, cut fastball) helped me out a lot."
Britton, 37-28 in the minors after four consecutive winning seasons, says he's learning not to force what's not there.
"My best pitch is the sinker, but I really didn't have it. So we went with a lot of off-speed stuff and four-seam fastballs. Just being able to make that adjustment on the mound -- not trying to force the issue -- was big."
Showalter credits pitching coach Mark Connor and bullpen coach Rick Adair for not trying to re-invent the wheel, rather working with Baltimore's young talent and the groundwork laid by former pitching coach Rick Kranitz.
"With (Connor and Adair) we basically have two major league pitching coaches who are about adjusting to the pitchers instead of having (the pitchers) adjust to them," Showalter says. "The (pitchers) are staying within the framework of what they bring and build on some of the great things Kranny did with them.
"As soon as they understood Mark was not going to come in here and make all these wholesale changes unless they bought in, they got real confident real quickly."
The pitchers also have a confidence in Wieters, now beginning his third season behind the plate.
"One thing that caught my eye was how mature Matt was," says Showalter, who guided the Orioles to a 34-23 record after he took over in 2010. "I see him in here at 1-2 o'clock going over hitters, asking for every tidbit. (His knowledge) creates such a confidence with our pitchers."
"I was really just following Matty's' lead back there," Britton says. "He did a good job of keeping hitters off balance that whole series."
Confidence wasn't something in short supply when the Orioles returned home for Opening Day on Monday, sending another of their young arms, Jake Arrietta, to the mound against the Tigers.
"This clubhouse is going crazy right now," Britton says. "(Against Tampa Bay) we were doing it the right way -- getting guys on, moving runners, getting them in and pitching well. It would be a surprise if anybody could beat us if we continue that."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2011/04/orioles-zack-britton-chris-tillman-matt-wieters-adjust/1
Magglio Ordonez back in Tigers' lineup today vs. Orioles
BALTIMORE -- Magglio Ordonez is back in the lineup and playing rightfield for the Detroit Tigers today after missing Sunday’s win over the New York Yankees with a sore right ankle.
Ordonez, who’s hitless in seven at-bats this season, will bat third for the Tigers (1-2) against Jake Arrieta in the Baltimore Orioles’ home opener.
Ordonez told the Venezuelan newspaper Lider that he left Saturday’s game against the Yankees after his surgically repaired ankle acted up in cold weather.
“He actually could have pinch-hit if we needed him yesterday,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said this morning. ”But I wasn’t going to do anything with him yesterday. I felt pretty comfortable (he was going to play) coming in this morning. It wasn’t etched in stone, because he could feel good yesterday during the day and then all of a sudden, at night, you sleep in, and maybe it stiffens up on you.
"I just wanted to wait to check with the trainers and Magglio today before I put him in there for sure, but it’s all systems are go.”
The Orioles (3-0) are coming off an opening-series sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Here is the Detroit Tigers' starting lineup for this afternoon's game at the Baltimore Orioles:
1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Will Rhymes, 2B
3. Magglio Ordonez, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Brennan Boesch, LF
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Alex Avila, C
9. Brandon Inge, 3B
Starting pitcher: Rick Porcello
http://www.freep.com/article/20110404/SPORTS02/110404033/0/FEATURES08/Magglio-Ordonez-back-Tigers-lineup-today-vs-Orioles?odyssey=nav|head
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