Highlights and lowlights from the Orioles' 4-3 loss to the Florida Marlins in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
DOWN -- Mike Timlin: Allows tiebreaking run in the ninth on double by Kevin Orie, preventing extra innings. No, wait, that's a good thing.
UP -- Jeff Reboulet: Two singles and a walk in the No. 9 spot, and turns a beautiful double play.
UP -- Will Clark: Goes 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .466. Anybody heard from Raffy?
UP -- Doug Linton: Wriggles out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to complete two scoreless innings. Hasn't allowed an earned run in five.
DOWN -- Night games: In March? Is this necessary?
The bats
Clark and Reboulet combined for half of the Orioles' eight hits. Brady Anderson, Albert Belle, Chris Hoiles and Lenny Webster had the others. Belle's hit was a first-inning double. Hoiles singled in two runs in the third, giving him the team lead with seven RBIs. Belle also had a bases-loaded walk in the third, when Marlins starter Jesus Sanchez issued four walks.
The arms
Only one of the three runs off Scott Erickson was earned. He allowed six hits, walked one and struck out two, and became the first starter to go five innings. Linton allowed two hits, walked one and struck out two in his two scoreless innings. Mike Fetters pitched a perfect eighth, but Timlin permitted a leadoff single by Bruce Aven in the ninth. After a sacrifice, Orie poked a run-scoring double to left. It was Timlin's second loss this spring.
The rest
Anderson came close to hitting a three-run homer in the sixth, but the wind knocked down the ball near the fence. Former Oriole Archie Corbin, who once pitched in the Mexican League, got the win with a scoreless inning. Cal Ripken committed an error when he bobbled a grounder from leadoff hitter Luis Castillo in the first inning and threw late. Lenny Webster threw out Castillo trying to steal in the third. Jesse Garcia stole a base in the seventh after running for Clark. Clark, Ripken and B. J. Surhoff won't play today. The Orioles have lost five of their past six. They face the Marlins again today in Fort Lauderdale.
Quote of the day
Quote of the day: "I think this issue transcends baseball; it's much more important than that." -- Marlins owner John Henry on the Orioles' planned trip to Cuba.
Pub Date: 3/18/99