If you watched Brian Matusz’s performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday you may not be feeling so optimistic about his return to form in 2012. Matusz put three of the first four batters he faced on base and his fastball was “consistently in the high 80s-low 90s,” according to MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli.
Roch Kubatko at MASNSports.com was a little more encouraged by what he saw from the young lefty. “Only one ball was hit hard – an RBI rope double by Josh Harrison that followed a bloop single by leadoff hitter Alex Presley,” Kubatko wrote. He added that Matusz recorded all three of his strikeouts looking, issued no walks and threw 19 of his 27 pitches for strikes.
Relievers Kevin Gregg and Matt Lindstrom were charged with another five runs as the Pirates sunk the Orioles 10-3.
It’s only Spring Training, but I’m not pleased to see Matusz get hit around for two innings or watch his fastball get clocked in the upper-80s. It also would have been nice to see Kevin Gregg attempt to prove that last season was a fluke or have one of the guys that the Orioles acquired for Jeremy Guthrie show why it was okay for Baltimore to give away their ace to Colorado.
Spring Training ERAs:
- Brian Matusz: 13.50
- Kevin Gregg: 18.00
- Matt Lindstrom: 18.00
Matusz threw 86 mph , he hit 89 once , I did not see 91 , he is the same as last year
I’m SHOCKED that Kubatko would spin something about the Orioles in a positive light.
It should be ashamed of what he’s become with his writing.
The negative about the O’s is they are owned by a joke,,,,,,,,,there are no positives………….