Highlights and lowlights from the Orioles' 4-2 victory over the New York Mets in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

UP -- Mike Mussina: Bring on Opening Day.

UP -- Chris Hoiles: His future in doubt, Hoiles dials it up.

UP --Ryan Minor: Goes 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base, and makes some nice plays at first. Has the "Palmeiro flip" down pat.

EVEN -- Jerry Hairston: Gets a hit and drives in a run. If only he had looked as comfortable at second base.

DOWN -- Belle's bats: He shattered another one in the second inning while taking a hard cut against Al Leiter. Roll out the barrels.

UP -- Brady Anderson: Another hit, and more evidence that he's making the necessary adjustments.

The bats

By the fourth inning, the Orioles had surpassed their previous exhibition high of seven hits. They finished with 10, including two each by Minor and Hoiles, who drilled a home run. Anderson, Hairston, Danny Clyburn, Rich Amaral, Lenny Webster and Mike Bordick each had a hit, and there were a few loud outs that don't show up in the box score. Amaral drove in a run with a high chopper in the third, and another run scored in the eighth on a groundout by Willis Otanez.

The arms

The only hit off Mussina was a fourth-inning double off the left-field fence by Mike Piazza. Mussina wasn't pleased with the two walks, but that's just a perfectionist talking. He was superb. Left-hander Doug Johns followed three shutout innings in his first appearance with another scoreless inning. Another lefty, Radhames Dykhoff, allowed a run in the sixth on a wild pitch. Julio Moreno and Dave Evans pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth, respectively -- each giving up one hit. The Mets pushed across an unearned run against Jesse Orosco in the ninth.

The rest

Anderson made a sliding catch of a sinking liner from Rickey Henderson in left-center field the first inning. Hairston lined into a double play with the bases loaded in the second. Mets third baseman Mike Kinkade robbed Otanez and Bordick with diving stops along the line. Amaral shifted from left to center in the fourth, replacing Anderson. Webster was hit on the side of the helmet by Matt Franco's backswing in the fourth, but stayed in the game after being checked by trainer Richie Bancells.

Quote of the day

"That's probably too good for this early. That looked like July." -- Mussina, evaluating his performance.

Pub Date: 3/12/99