Littering the bases
Orioles starter Steve Trachsel went four innings yesterday. Only one of them was clean. Trachsel allowed four runs (three earned) and seven hits, walked one and didn't record a strikeout. He faced 19 batters. The Dodgers almost hit for the cycle in the third, getting a single, two doubles and a triple. Andruw Jones bounced an RBI single up the middle in the first after an error and walk put Trachsel in trouble. Rafael Furcal, Delwyn Young and Matt Kemp drove in runs in the third, but Trachsel blanked the Dodgers in the fourth despite allowing two singles. Lucas May grounded into a double play.
Nine up, nine down
For the second straight day, the Orioles failed to have a runner reach base until the fourth inning. Dodgers starter Chan Ho Park left after the third, and the Orioles took advantage of the switch by scoring twice off reliever Eric Stults in the fourth. Stults walked the first two batters, and they both came home on Nick Markakis' triple to left-center. The Orioles tied the score at 4 in the seventh, but Jones hit a two-run homer off Jon Leicester in the eighth.
Fielding slump
Luis Hernandez committed another error and is having a shaky spring in the field. He misplayed a sharp grounder from leadoff hitter Juan Pierre in the first inning, then gathered the ball and fired it over first baseman Kevin Millar's head and into the Orioles' dugout. To Hernandez's credit, he made two impressive plays later in the game.
On deck
The Orioles return to Jupiter today, this time to play the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Daniel Cabrera will make his third start for the Orioles. He will be followed by Dennis Sarfate, Radhames Liz and Ryan Bukvich. Todd Wellemeyer gets the start for St. Louis. Cabrera gave up five runs (two earned) in Thursday's game.