SARASOTA, FLA. — Orioles right-hander Eddie Gamboa struggled in his first spring outing, allowing four runs over two innings in Tuesday's 15-2 loss, including a three-run homer to Detroit Tigers first baseman Aaron Westlake.
After the game, Orioles manager Buck Showalter vocalized his frustration with Gamboa – who is in his third season as a converted knuckleballer – saying he needs to throw the knuckleball more often if he's going to be successful.
Westlake's homer came on an 88-mph fastball after Gamboa fell behind in the count 3-1. Gamboa said he knows he has to throw more knuckleballs as he attempts to make an impression on the Orioles' big league staff.
"It was a tough situation yesterday, but I knew that I needed to throw a lot more knuckleballs," Gamboa said Wednesday. "I got beat with the fastball and that was just me trying to get ahead early in the count. … I got behind in the count and then kind of felt pressured into kind of give in. Usually when you give in like that, you don't get beat like that, but I guess you do sometimes. ...
"They made me pay for it and it's just a learning experience. We'll go and move on and try to get better the rest of the spring. Yesterday, I definitely threw too many fastballs and got beat with it. It wasn't one of my greatest outings but we learn from it and we move on."
It's not the first time that Showalter has said Gamboa needs to throw his knuckleball more.
"He had a good one yesterday, if we can just get him to throw it," Showalter said before Wednesday's game in Sarasota. "I think we'll see a higher percentage as we go forward."
Two springs ago, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette brought in Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro to work with Gamboa and two other Orioles minor league pitchers, Zach Clark and Zach Staniewicz. Gamboa is the only one of the three left in the organization.
Gamboa has had some success with the pitch. He was 5-7 with a 3.81 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 108 2/3 innings last season at Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie.
Gamboa served a 50-game suspension when he tested positive for exogenous testosterone in June. When he returned, he was assigned to Bowie, where he went 1-2 with a 3.19 ERA in five starts for the Baysox.
Gamboa said he was committed to the knuckleball at Bowie, throwing it at least 80 percent of the time, and he saw mixed results. He averaged nearly a strikeout an inning (8.7) but also averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings. He then went to pitch winter ball in Mexico and pitched well there, throwing the knuckleball just 50 percent of the time.
He led the Mexican Pacific League in ERA (1.83) and went 6-2 in 10 starts, striking out 56 and walking just seven in 68 2/3 innings.
"I felt comfortable going out there competing every outing, as opposed to throwing the knuckleball," Gamboa said.
His success in Mexico earned him a major league contract with the Orioles in the offseason, and he thought a more even mix of knuckleballs and his other pitches – mostly his fastball along with a changeup and cutter – could help him be more successful.
But on Tuesday, Gamboa saw that he was too predictable. When he fell behind in the count and didn't have the confidence to throw the knuckleball, he knew hitters were expecting the fastball.
"I still wanted to use my other stuff to put myself in good counts, but again it's what the organization wants me to do," Gamboa said. "I don't want to be a player who can't be coachable, because I am coachable.
"That's why [there are] very few people that can do it, because it's so difficult to do. That's why every time I watch R.A. Dickey or Steven Wright's outings, you can tell it's an art. It's crazy how they do it and I hope that one day I can be in their shoes."
Janish getting his grounders in
Infielder Paul Janish took ground balls for about 20-25 minutes Tuesday, his first defensive baseball activities since surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow last month.
"It went really well," Janish said. "I was kind of moving around and kind of re-lubricating everything so to speak. But yeah, it's not just the ground ball stuff. It's the legs and getting everything moving, getting the body moving in those ways again, but yeah. It went as well as it could have gone, to be honest."
Janish – who is competing for a utility position -- expects to begin throwing on either Friday or Saturday. He also hopes to be able to take live batting practice this weekend as well. He's been doing some tee work.
If all goes well, Janish hopes to get into an exhibition game either March 20 or March 21, which would give him about two weeks worth of games before the season starts.
"It's just getting on a consistent schedule of doing that stuff so I can kind of get back into baseball shape," he said.
Rays announce rotation
More than one month before Opening Day, the Orioles already know which pitchers they will face in the first series of the regular season at Tampa Bay.
The Rays announced Wednesday morning that right-hander Alex Cobb will start Opening Day on April 6. Cobb is 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA in eight career starts (49 innings) against the Orioles.
Right-hander Chris Archer and left-hander Drew Smyly will start the next two games for the Rays.
"We had that on the board before we got here, so it's nothing new," Showalter said.
Around the horn
RHP Mike Wright will start Friday's road game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. RHP R.A. Dickey will start for Toronto. … RHP Steve Johnson was scheduled to pitch Wednesday, but he will take an extra work day before pitching in a game. Johnson suffered a bruised middle finger in camp and is coming off shoulder surgery, so the club is being cautious with him. … Showalter said he doesn't expect LHP Brian Matusz's spring debut to be delayed by a sore non-throwing shoulder. "He barely got mentioned in the medical report," Showalter said. "He feels good." Matusz's shoulder became sore after a recent weightlifting drill.