Orioles Team Report May 28, 2008

If the Orioles would go with their regular rotation, Steve Trachsel would be on the mound Thursday. But Thursday is an off day for the Orioles. That allows manager Dave Trembley to skip Trachsel’s next turn in the rotation.

Trachsel pitched Saturday after having two of his turns skipped, a total of 15 days between that game and his previous start. He gave up nine runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The reason for the lack of activity prior to Saturday was that Trachsel had been struggling. However, the diplomatic Trembley said it was to keep the younger pitchers on schedule at a time when the Orioles had three days off in an eight-day span.
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Now, Trembley is using the same reason for skipping Trachsel, though the fact that Trachsel had not pitched well again remains a glaring reality.

“Whenever I need another fifth starter, that’s the possibility that Steve Trachsel will pitch. I will keep all of the guys on their regular turn as best I can,” Trembley said. “That’s the way I’ve done it all year; when there’s an off day, I try to keep as many guys as I possibly can on their regular day. Trachsel’s day would come the first day we’re in Minnesota, I guess.”

The 37-year-old Trachsel, who is in his 15th major league season, accepted Trembley’s judgment in a dignified manner.

“It’s part of the game, and I’ll do what I have to do to contribute. You know when you’re going to pitch and you prepare for that. You do what you have to do to stay prepared, whether it’s on the side or throwing simulated games,” he said when told of the manager’s decision.

ORIOLES 10, YANKEES 9 (11 innings): Pinch hitter Alex Cintron singled home in the winning run in the 11th inning after Aubrey Huff doubled in Melvin Mora with the tying run. The Yankees took a 9-8 lead on Hideki Matsui’s RBI single in the top of the inning. The win went to the Orioles’ sixth pitcher, Matt Albers.

In regulation, the teams twice traded four-run innings as both starters were gone before four innings were completed in a game that featured the most combined home runs this season. Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon hit home runs in the Yankees’ second, only to be countered by blasts by Kevin Millar and Ramon Hernandez. Alex Rodriguez and Bobby Abreu hit homers in the fourth, and the Orioles came back with home runs off the bats of Melvin Mora, Luke Scott and Millar.

Notes, Quotes

• 1B Kevin Millar hit his seventh and eighth homers of the season and added a double. It was his first multi-homer game of the year. It was a virtual repeat of his three-hit, three-RBI game of May 10 at Kansas City.

• LF Luke Scott has a total of five hits—four homers and a double—since May 16. The last of the home runs came Tuesday. He has five homers since May 13, but prior to this stretch he had batted in 28 games since April 8 without hitting a home run.

• SS Freddie Bynum is presently getting the opportunity from manager Dave Trembley to be the everyday starter at shortstop, but he is 0 for his last 13, including 0-for-3 on Tuesday. Bynum has only two RBIs for the season.

• RF Nick Markakis reverted to his “0-for” mode on Tuesday when he was 0-for-6. He had an outstanding game Monday, going 3-for-4, but had been 0-for-11 in his three starts before that and is now 3-for-21 in his last five games.

• LHP Brian Burres, who allowed only one run in eight innings in his previous start against the Yankees, was battered Tuesday for four homers and a total of eight runs in 3 2/3 innings. He got a no-decision because of the Orioles’ two four-run innings.

• RHP Steve Trachsel will again have his turn to start skipped because the Orioles have an off day Thursday. The decision was announced by manager Dave Trembley, who refused to comment further on Trachsel’s future beyond that.

By The Numbers: 3—Times the Orioles were shut out in a recent 10-game span.

Quote To Note: “There’s a pattern going here where if I miss a spot, the ball’s getting hit very hard, and there’s no reason for that. At some point, you’re going to have a point where the guys are at least fouling them off, and that’s not really happening. So we’ve got to figure out exactly what is going on.”—RHP Steve Trachsel on his May 24 performance.