FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- So much for results not mattering this time of year.

When Scott Kamieniecki took the mound yesterday for the Orioles' exhibition game against Boston, it marked the first time he would face opposing batters since last August because of a herniated disk in his neck that required surgery a month later. Though he didn't allow a run in two innings, he wasn't particularly sharp or satisfied.

"It was frustrating," he said, shortly before the game ended in a 3-3 tie. "You go out there and try to compete. I might have thrown 35, 40 pitches, and I threw four or five where I wanted to. I was expecting better than that."

Darren Lewis led off the game with a walk but was doubled off first on a lazy liner from former Oriole Damon Buford. Jose Offerman doubled, the ball glancing off Albert Belle's glove in right, and Nomar Garciaparra walked before Mike Stanley hit into a force.

In the second inning, Brian Daubach doubled with one out before Kamieniecki retired the next two batters. He then went to the bullpen and threw another 15-20 pitches before heading for the trainer's room.

"I didn't give up any runs and I don't know how," he said. "Hopefully I just had a bad day. Every workout has gone well for me, and every time I've thrown off the mound I've thrown pretty well. This is the worst, by far, in the last four or six weeks."

On a more positive note, Kamieniecki said his health is fine -- "no aches and pains right now" -- which is what manager Ray Miller wants to hear before anointing him the fourth starter.

"I was impressed with Kammy for the first time out," Miller said. "He showed me some 2-0 fastballs and jammed the guy in a couple situations."

Told that Kamieniecki wasn't pleased, Miller chuckled and said, "He's probably the nicest guy in the world and he's angry every day he pitches. But the last few years, for the most part, every time he got behind he had to throw a changeup. Today he got behind and I saw 2-0 fastballs inside, and saw some first-pitch breaking balls, which he didn't do at all last year. He's right on schedule."

Slocumb gets job done

Heathcliff Slocumb escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth to complete two scoreless innings. He retired Lewis on a fly ball to left after allowing singles to Stanley and Daubach and a two-out walk to Lou Merloni.

"I felt pretty good. I came to the park this morning expecting to go one inning, but I was able to stretch it out. That's what you want to do. You've got to get your work in," said Slocumb, who permitted two hits in one inning in his first appearance Sunday against the Florida Marlins.

"I tried to stay away from the slider and locate more with the fastball, and we put some good changeups in there, so it was a positive day."

Said Miller: "One thing we've been hammering him about is first-pitch strikes and that first inning he was strike one on everybody and that's exciting to see."

Terry Burrows followed Slocumb and retired all three batters he faced in the fifth. It was a drastic reversal from the left-hander's first outing in Saturday's opener in Fort Myers, when he allowed five runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings.

"I was a lot more clearheaded, a little bit more relaxed. I felt like I could throw my pitches for strikes. I wish I knew why," he said.

"It's only one inning, but it's pretty important when you're in my shoes."

Cuts coming Monday

Miller said he'll most likely wait until Monday to make any roster cuts, "but I think we'll probably tell people a few days before."

Though managers usually want to clear out some pitchers as soon as possible, Miller doesn't have a surplus this spring.

"Normally you have 28 or 29, which I always complained about. This year, we've got 22, plus [Darin] Blood is 23 and he hasn't been able to pitch," Miller said.

"Usually at this time, after you've played four games, you've got about six pitchers you want to get out of here because there's no way you can get them in a game."

Pub Date: 3/11/99