Tillman Optioned to Minors...

This afternoon, the Baltmore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates played to a 6-6 tie in Bradenton, Fla and pitcher Jake Arrieta has a rough day; however, the news of the day involved Chris Tillman.

Well, the young hurler was once again demoted as he was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

According to the press release by the team, “Tillman posted a 2.92 ERA (12.1IP, 4ER) in five games (one start) for the Orioles this spring.”

That being said, it’s hard to determine why Tillman got sent down; however, it might have been a numbers game with the Orioles, struggled and knowing that he has options – perhaps that’s why the decision was made.

Overall, he has been an extraordinarily inconsistent pitcher with the franchise (at least in the majors) and fans – along with executives – have been wondering “will this guy ever figure it out?

Is Tillman a major league-caliber pitcher, or a Four-A guy?

Tillman has had problems being efficient on the mound with his pitches, making it to the fifth inning, walking batters and confidence on the mound. Not good.

It drove people crazy to see Tillman pitch like an ace in one game, and look painful the next.

I was watching “Wall-to-Wall Baseball” on MASN today, and panelist Dave Johnson brought up an important point – why don’t the Orioles just allow Tillman to pitch in the majors for an extended period of time?

Good question. I don’t know.

>>> Read More

Simon Reportedly Put on Waivers

As the Oriole roster is starting to take shape, they made yet another move last night. Alfredo Simon, who has been a mainstay of the pitching staff for the past few years has been put on waivers.

Britt Ghiroli of the Orioles.com says: In a somewhat surprising move, the Orioles placed right-hander Alfredo Simon on outright waivers, two baseball sources confirmed on Friday evening.

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said the waiver process is confidential and confirmed in a text message that Simon is "on the roster."

Technically, that is true. Simon is still on the 40-man roster and will be until he is claimed by another team or cleared, with the latter an unlikely scenario.

I'm a little surprised Simon was put on waivers; however, his career with the Orioles has been filled with ups and downs.

>>> Read More

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Here’s a little more about PEX tubing:

If you’re curious about PEX piping, it is made from HDPE, which is a short for High Density PolyEthylene. HDPE usually comes in pill-size granules, which are melted inside the extruder during the manufacturing process and pushed through a die under pressure, thus creating a pipe (tubing).

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PEX-AL-PEX tubing can be used both in plumbing and heating applications and has all the advantages of regular PEX plus the memory feature, which allows it to keep it's shape when bent.

Matusz and Jones

This afternoon, the Orioles lost to the Detroit Tigers, 6-4, at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.

Brian Matusz – who I think has earned a spot in the rotation, and may be the 5th starter right now - allowed three runs in the first inning; however, he settled down thereafter. Overall, he pitched five innings, walked one and struck out four.

Much has been said about Matusz’s struggles last year, but I think he has going to bounce back in a big way. I do not know if he will be an ace, or a top of the rotation guy who could anchor a staff now; however, but he is a unquestionably still part of the Orioles future.

He will be fine this season. I hope.

The story of the game was Adam Jones. I have been intrigued him this Spring Training and wonder what he can accomplish in 2012. Considering Jones is in his fifth year, and one of the big bats in the Orioles lineup, eyes will be on him.

>>> Read More

Predictions - Orioles and MLB

I said this week the Orioles will in 66 games, and I have a few more predictions to throw out there with the team, but also baseball. I'm not very good with sports betting or baseball predictions or bets, but I'm going to do my best here...

Orioles All-Star: Nick Markakis or Matt Wieters. I do think Jones is ready for a breakout season.

Which Pitcher will win the most games? I’m not too sure, but I am going to say Jake Arrieta with 13.

Who Will Lead the Team With RBI? Adam Jones

Who Will Lead the Team in Homers? Good chance it may be Mark Reynolds again. I do think Adam Jones’ numbers will pick up and he’ll get close to 30 homers.

Saves Leader: Jim Johnson, 25

Who Will Be the Orioles MVP? Matt Wieters

Does Brian Roberts Play? Yes. Though it may be a while, and won’t be on an everyday basis.

Attendance: 2.3 million. Fans flock the stadium for the Orioles Hall of Fame Events, promotions and the weather will be fairly good this season.

***

How the AL East will shape up at the end of the season: New York, Tampa Bay (WC), Boston, Toronto, Baltimore

How the AL Central will shape up at the end of the season: Detroit (by a mile), Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota,

How the AL West will shape up at the end of the season: Texas, Los Angeles/Anaheim (WC), Seattle, Oakland

How the NL East will shape up at the end of the season: Philadelphia, Washington (WC), Florida, Atlanta, New York

How the NL Central will shape up at the end of the season: St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Houston.

How the NL West will shape up at the end of the season: Arizona, San Francisco (WC), Los Angeles, Colorado, San Diego.

Your World Series Matchup: Texas vs. Philadelphia

Winner: Philadelphia

Orioles Sign Zelous Wheeler; DFA Pitcher Dana Eveland

Well, it looks like the Orioles made another move, gaining an infielder; meanwhile, pitcher Dana Eveland was designate for assignment. He wants to stay with the organization according to the Baltimore Sun if he passes waivers or isn't released.

Orioles claim INF Zelous Wheeler off waivers

The Orioles today announced that they have claimed INF ZELOUS WHEELER off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.

Wheeler, 25, is a career .271/.371/.408 hitter in 538 minor league games over five seasons. He spent last season with Double-A Huntsville (65 games) and Triple-A Nashville (17 games), hitting a combined .272/.378/.459 with 33 extra-base hits in 329 at-bats.

Wheeler was originally drafted by Milwaukee in the 19^th round of the 2007 draft out of Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, AL.

To make room for Wheeler on the 40-man roster, LHP DANA EVELAND was designated for assignment.

The Pitching ... Again

Yesterday, the Oriole lost to the Blue Jays, 9-3, in Grapefruit League action. Right now, with the start of the season about a week away, it still is yet to be seen what is happening with the starting rotation.

One potential member of it – albeit, a long shot at this point – Dana Eveland had a rocky day, allowing three runs in six innings. After the game, according to the Baltimore Sun, Eveland told the media that he did not envision making the starting rotation because “he was not stretched out enough”.

However, Buck Showalter says that Eveland is still in the hunt for a starting spot.

Another guy whose role is undefined – Alfredo Simon – struggled yesterday in his outing. He had not pitched March 18^th due to a groin injury and allowed six runs in only two innings of work.

As it is, the pitching situation is very much still up in the air with the Orioles heading into Opening Day.

There’s still not been an Opening Day starter named, although I find that to be a very minor issue.

>>> Read More

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are sold to Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten & Friends for a Ton of Money...

I’ll comment on the Orioles later in a few posts, however, I did want to mention what happened on the left coast night with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Well, it looks like a consortium of a bunch of well-do-people led by Magic Johnson – who we all know played for the Los Angeles Lakers back in the day - and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten came to an agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For TWO BILLION dollars. I cannot wrap that around my head. I'm sure a lot of it is built into an impending TV deal plus the history of the franchise.

I mean, the Powerball jackpot is supposed to come close to $500 million, but who has TWO BILLION to spend like that? Wow.

It’s good for Dodgers fans to finally be rid of Frank McCourt and family, because frankly they f**ked that team up. Geez, and people say that O's fans have it bad with Peter Angelos...

I will say, Frank McCourt is a real man of genius. He bought a storied franchise, had some success at first, drove into the ground, siphoned off money to live an opulent lifestyle, and now can profit greatly from the sale -- up to a BILLION dollars?

I’ve been a Magic Johnson fan since childhood and I’ll be intrigued what he does – along with Stan Kasten with that franchose. I’m sure some other wealthy people fronted the money to purchase the team, but Magic is the figure-head, and Kasten will run the show.
It will be interesting to see if the Dodgers become the Yankees west, or still stick with their ‘value-added signings?

I will say … if I owned the Yankees – or any team in baseball - I’d be very, very happy with the developments from the West Coast.

I mean, if the Dodgers are worth two billion, how much are the New York Yankees worth with their stadium, TV, radio money, and everything else included?

What about the Boston Red Sox?

The Chicago Cubs?

The Philadelphia Phillies?

I guess there’s not truly a concern about the economy after all in baseball – unlike in the rest of the country.

Well, then again, if you want to be frugal when it comes to baseball toys, well save when you shop toysrus.com.

Press Release: Mike Mussina and Rich Dauer elected to Orioles Hall of Fame

Mike Mussina and Rich Dauer elected to Orioles Hall of Fame

Walter Youse named Herb Armstrong Award winner


Former Orioles pitcher MIKE MUSSINA has been elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame, the team announced today. Former O’s second baseman RICH DAUER will also be enshrined as a selection of the Veteran’s Committee, and longtime Orioles scout WALTER YOUSE will be inducted posthumously as this year’s Herb Armstrong Award winner.

Mussina spent the first 10 of his 18 major league seasons with the Orioles from 1991-2000, going 147-81 with a 3.53 ERA in 288 starts. He ranks among the club’s all-time leaders in wins (3rd), strikeouts (2nd), starts (5th), innings (6th), shutouts (8th) and complete games (10th). Mussina led the Orioles in ERA eight times and in victories and innings pitched six times each in his 10 seasons with the club.

The right-hander won at least 10 games in 17 consecutive seasons, an American League record. He won 18 or more games six times, four of those with Baltimore. Only six pitchers in ML history with as many wins as Mussina have a better winning percentage, and he is one of only nine pitchers in major league history to win 100 or more games with two teams. He ranks 19th all-time in major league history in strikeouts, 31st in winning percentage, and 33rd in wins and games started.

During his time with the Orioles, Mussina led the American League in win/loss percentage (1992); wins, shutouts and walks per nine innings (all in 1995); starts (1996); and innings pitched (2000). He won seven Gold Gloves, four of them as an Oriole, and finished in the top six of Cy Young Award voting nine times, seven with Baltimore. He was named to five American League All-Star teams, all with the Orioles.

Mussina threw three one-hitters for the Orioles and struck out 15 batters in a game three times during his Baltimore career. In the 1997 post-season, he went 2-0 in four starts with a 1.24 ERA, allowing one run on four hits in 15.0 innings over two ALCS starts.

A native of Montoursville, PA, Mussina was the Orioles’ first round selection (20th overall pick) out of Stanford University in the 1990 First Year Player Draft.

Dauer will be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee. The second baseman spent his entire 10-year major league career with the Orioles from 1976-85, batting .257 in 1140 games with the club and ranks among the top 15 players in club history in games played, hits and doubles. Dauer played in two World Series with the Orioles, in 1979 and 1983.

Dauer holds two American League single season fielding records for a second baseman, playing 86 consecutive errorless games and 425 straight errorless chances, both of which he set in 1978. He led all AL second basemen in fielding percentage in 1981 and had the fewest errors among qualifying second basemen three times. Dauer’s .987 career fielding percentage ranks 12th all-time and was the highest among those who played during his career, 1976-85.

Currently third base coach for the Colorado Rockies, Dauer was the Orioles’ first round pick (24th overall) in the 1974 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California. He is one of the few players to win both a College World Series and MLB World Series.

>>> Read More

Odds, Thoughts, Wishes and Predictions

With the start of the Orioles’ season less than nine games away, the odds for them on sports betting websites, fans, casual observers and with the media isn’t good. They aren’t simply just expected to bad, but bottom-feeders and a last place team in the division.

The odds are 150-to-1 that they win the World Series. They are 100-to-1 odds to win the American League East.

Basically, the odd-makers are not giving the Orioles a flipping shot.

It’s been a painful decade-plus for the franchise; however, I want to see the bright side of things. Although, at this point – why should we all care anymore?

As James noted in his blog post from this weekend, it was a ho-hum offseason for the franchise. No marquee players and a lot of guys who are either your average veterans, youngsters looking for a second chance, or guys from the scrap heap.

We know that the Orioles are in a rebuilding stage; therefore, I am going to make the best of it as a fan.

Camden Yards will be nice as always, especially with the additions and I hope to see some competitive baseball for a change.

I want Opening Day weather-wise to resemble what it did last year and for the team to go on a nice winning streak to start the season.

I want to young players – especially, the pitchers – to give their all and develop. I’d like to see Matt Wieters make another All-Star Game, and perhaps another Oriole join him.

>>> Read More

House by the park

Contribution by Kennith Griffin

My brother and sister-in-law live in a house that is right beside our community park. They can just walk across the street from their neighborhood, and they have all that the park has to offer right in front of them.

There is the playground where their children can play on all the equipment. There is a mile long walking trail that circles around the park. Their older son plays Little League Baseball there too. And as they get older, the children will be able to walk over by themselves and go to the pool in the summer.

My sister-in-law said that she had seen a couple strangers hanging around the park recently. The police was notified, and they ended up arresting them for breaking in to someone’s house that lived nearby.

That terrified my sister-in-law so bad that she decided that they needed to go to http://www.homesecuritysystems.com, and order a system for their house.

She said that someone could be watching them when they walked across the street to the park and break in while they were gone.

Optimism?

Optimism

noun

1. Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.

It has not paid to be an optimist when considering the Baltimore Orioles over the last decade and a half. I once stood in my office, phyiscally praying for a sunny day so a massive activity that I helped plan would not be cancelled. My boss asked me: "Are you a religious man, do you think God listens to your prayers?" I replied: "I'm an Orioles fan, if there is a God, it certainly is not listening to me." Thinking back to the beginning of Spring Training the Orioles seemed hopeless. The magic of game 162 had been drained away by an uneventful offseason and as pitchers and catchers reported to camp the most fans and virtually all media had resigned the Orioles to not only be last in their division but perhaps even one of the worst teams in baseball.

ESPN: The Magazine released their 2012 MLB preview written primarily by Buster Olney and Tim Kurkijian. Every team was broken down and given a best and worst case scenario. The Orioles best case scenario - less than 70 wins. That is right, according to ESPN the Orioles' best case would be to simply avoid 100 losses. Their worst case, 107+ losses. If you're an Orioles fan there simply is no reason to think this season will be any different than the last 14.

But then Brian Matusz shows up and his velocity is back where it should be. Then Adam Jones starts tearing the cover off the ball. Nick Markakis feels fine and looks ready for Opening Day. Chen Wei-Yin looks very solid as he adjusts to MLB. Jake Arrieta is throwing hard and strong. Brady Anderson is in the front office and working with all the young players. Matt Wieters has a couple big games. Suddenly the starting rotation doesn't look as dire. Suddenly the lineup looks pretty good.Suddenly optimism creeps into your brain.

Optimism and baseball are funny things, they both come with the Spring. This winter was awful in Baltimore, rainy and depressing. No snow, no fun. We just had our first complete week of really nice weather. Meanwhile in Florida the Orioles bats have come alive scoring 32 runs in their last four games.

>>> Read More

About Sunday; Improvements to Camden Yards & TV

On Sunday, the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies played to a 3-3 tie in Clearwater, Florida.

Once again, Brian Matusz started a game in Grapefruit League action; however, this time, the result was mixed. Overall, he gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings, gave up six hits, struck out and walked one.

Philadelphia plated three runs in the third inning off an RBI-single from Placido Polanco and a two-run double by Jim Thome.

Despite the big inning from the Phillies, Matusz did get through his outing without his best stuff. Matusz certainly was not as sharp as I’ve seen in some of his spring starts; however, he kept his team in the game.

Right now, if I were a betting man, I’d say Matusz is in the starting rotation on Opening Day – perhaps as the fifth starter.

The Baltimore batters faced Roy Halladay – who started on the mound for Philadelphia – and went 6 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs – off a homer from Nolan Reimold homer and a Ronny Paulino RBI-single – in the second inning, but after that pretty much dominated the Orioles after that. Trent Mummey plated in a run in the eighth inning off reliever Jose Contreras.

(from the Orioles.com)

With the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards this year, the Orioles released some renderings of the improvements made to the ballpark. It is a fantastic venue to watch a ballgame – or even just hang out for the night at. I do not think there’s need for too much change at the stadium, but the new additions certainly add a lot more life. I’ll be curious to visit the new roof deck in center field. I figure it is sort of like what Washington has in their ballpark, as well as Philadelphia and New York.

Of course, the highlight of all the work done in the off-season will be the statues; moreover, it is notable that the Orioles will have the section of the ballpark open on non-game days.

Briitany Ghiroli of the Orioles.com has a detailed article noting the changes. As much I appreciate the changes to the Yard, perhaps a competitive team also might be in order?

If anything, that would help fill up the Yard.

Finally, pretty much every game should be available on TV if you want to watch the Orioles via MASN. You can get the station on various providers such as Comcast, Cox Cable and DirecTV.

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About Yesterday

On Saturday, the offense for the Baltimore Orioles has a huge day as they defeated the Washington Nationals, 12-3 at Ed Smith Stadium.

Matt Wieters was the absolute star of the game, going 4-for-4 with six runs driven in. He had an opposite field three-run homer in the third inning; meanwhile, Adam Jones went 3-for-3 with a run driven in.

Wilson Betemit – after a slow start at the plate this spring – had three hits and drove in two as well. Nolan Reimold had two hits, and Robert Andino – who has been hot as of late – added three more.

Baltimore pounded starter Edwin Jackson for ten runs – seven earned – in 3 2/3 innings and were able to get eleven hits off of him.

>>> Read More

About Yesterday; Jones Batting Cleanup?

On Friday, the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-5, in Sarasota thanks to two-run homers by Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. The offense pounded out 13 hits, and the bats started to pick up after being quiet for most of the winter. They did most of their scoring in the early pertion of the game, hammering Boston starter Clay Buchholz for five runs in five innings of work.

Nick Johnson also contributed with two hits and has raised his batting average to .324. It will be fascinating to see if there’s any need or room for him on the 25-man roster. Robert Andino also had two hits and drove in two runs.

Baltimore starter Jason Hammel got roughed up a bit, as he went only two innings and gave up three runs. Brad Bergesen got the win on the afternoon as he went three scoreless innings on the mound.

With a little less than two weeks before the start of the season, the question is: who will be the leadoff hitter?

>>> Read More

Taking A Stand...

Sports is often a used as a tool to escape reality, but, there are some things can not be ignored and permeates many lives. I am not a fan of the Miami Heat, but major props to them for this powerful image in response to the sad and maddening Trayvon Martin incident in central Florida. This photo was Tweeted by LeBron James.

Sometimes athletes can be blowhards and just talk to talk to self-promote; however, in this case, the Heat roster used their influence to take a very meaningful stand.

Much appreciated.

Special thanks to the Miami Herald...

Matt Hobgood out for the season...

Well, the first round draft pick of the Orioles in 2009, Matt Hobgood, will miss the 2012 season due to injury. It's not good news for the young hurler, and is another setback in a professional career that has seemingly not gotten off the ground.

From the Baltimore Sun: Former Orioles top pick Matt Hobgood, who has battled ineffectiveness and injury in his brief pro career, will have right rotator-cuff surgery April 2 and is expected to miss all of the 2012 season.

The 21-year-old Hobgood, whom the Orioles selected in the first round (fifth overall) in 2009, was shut down earlier this month with shoulder discomfort, something that previously has hampered him in his career.

He was examined by Dr. Craig Morgan earlier this week and surgery to repair the shoulder was recommended, according to John Stockstill, the Orioles' director of player development.

Morgan, a shoulder specialist, will perform the surgery in Wilmington, Del. He will be “sizing down” Hobgood’s rotator cuff so that it fits better with the shoulder capsule. It often takes pitchers 12 to 18 months to fully come back shoulder surgery.

Well, for every Tim Lincecum or Josh Beckett that comes out of the first round of the MLB Draft, there are countless Matt Bushes or Bryan Bullingtons, who never make it for one issue or another. Considering how much these players make, fans and the team hope it is worth the investment.

>>> Read More

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About Yesterday; Chen...

Yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles demolished the Minnesota Twins, 11-1, in Grapefruit League action.

The story of the day was the pitching of Wei-Yin Chen. Obviously, the Orioles need as much pitching as they can get, and so far Chen has been promising down in Florida during his first MLB Spring Training.

He gave up a run in five innings of work and gave up four hits. He struck out one and didn’t walk anyone.

At this point, it is safe to assume that Chen will be one of the starters when the Orioles kick-off the season on April 6^th. Right now, I would also include Tommy Hunter and Jake Arrieta in the rotation. It remains to be seen what will happen with Brian Matusz; however, he has pitched well enough – so far – to earn a rotation spot.

>>> Read More

Forbes Magazine and the Business of Baseball

According to Forbes Magazine, the Baltimore Orioles are worth $460 billion, and the value of franchise has increased 12% since 2011. As well, Forbes reported that the Orioles made $179 in terms of revenue, and $12.9 million of operating income.

Of course, no one can say this is all true or not since teams do not open up their books; however, the estimates by Forbes Magazine is a pretty good barometer as to how much the Orioles and other teams are worth.

The most valuable teams right now are New York Yankess at $1.85 billion, the Los Angeles Dodgers at $1.4 billion, the Boston Red Sox at $1 billion, the Chicago Cubs at $879 million and the Philadelphia Phillies at $723 million.

The Baltimore Orioles rank 19th on the list of most valuable franchises.

Hopefully for the people who run these teams, they took their IRS exams and income tax course.

Bad timing

Bad Timing

Guest post by Gerard Mcdaniel

I am so sad that I have to move. I have been renting my house for three years, and my landlord told me he is selling it, so I have to be out by the end of the month. This couldn’t be happening to me at a worse time.

My sister is getting married in the Bahamas next week, so I won’t even be in town. I would take an extra week off of work, but I don’t have any extra vacation days left. I don’t know how I am going to find a place and pack before the month is up. That isn’t even considering that I need gas turned on, and I need to transfer all my utilities. I don’t want to let my sister down, so I am just going to have to manage.

I am going to dip into my emergency savings fun and hire movers to do the heavy lifting. That should take a little bit of stress off of my shoulders. Then I am going to enlist some of my friends to help me pack and organize next weekend. I sincerely hope that I can pull it all together!

Britton Still Ailing; Matusz

Anytime a player hears their name and Dr. James Andrews in the same sentence, it is never a good thing.

Yesterday, the Orioles announced that pitcher Zach Britton will be visiting the renowned sports doctor to have his shoulder looked at.

From the Orioles.com: Orioles left-hander Zach Britton continues to deal with left shoulder inflammation, the latest case likely costing the 24-year-old a chance at being part of the Opening Day rotation.

"Personally, it would be tough for me to be ready to start the season," said Britton, who will see Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday morning for a second opinion on his shoulder.

"There's always that chance that you could be, but it's really hard for me to envision being ready for Opening Day, especially not facing Major League hitters or even going more than two innings [this spring]. Everything would have to go perfectly, so I don't think so."

Britton, who will travel to Pensacola, Fla., to see Andrews, was scratched from Monday's Minor League start because of inflammation that developed on Saturday night and said he just wants another look at the somewhat "head scratching" nature of his injury. The 24-year-old Britton -- who has been dealing with inflammation in the shoulder since August -- said it's been a frustrating spring for him, as the team tries to figure out what the exact issue is.

I guess the best case scenario for Britton is to miss some time, go on the disabled list and rehab his shoulder. However, the worst that could happen is to have Britton go under the knife and have surgery; therefore, missing a chunk of time.

It sucks to see one of the better young pitchers go through injury, but it is a fact of life in baseball. If the Orioles are to improve and start their climb out of last place, it depends on the pitching and seeing someone of Britton’s caliber suffer through a bum/injured shoulder doesn’t help the situation at all.

***

Yesterday in Sarasota, the Orioles lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1; however, Brian Matusz – without his best stuff – went five innings and gave up a run. He had trouble with location and hitting some of his spots on Tuesday, but was effective. Without his pitches working effectively, he battled through and his team helped him out.

>>> Read More