Friday, March 25, 2011

Ohlie Rocked Again, Bucs Fall 11-7

Ross Ohlendorf worked 4-2/3 innings, gave up nine hits and five earned runs, walked two and was whacked for three home runs; his spring ERA is an ugly 10.05.

Lyle Overbay and Neil Walker hit back-to-back home runs in the first to give Ohlie a quick 3-0 lead against Baltimore; it would prove way short of the support he needed this night.

Ohlendorf couldn't make it through the fifth before the O's had pounded their way to a 6-3 cushion. Another Walker blast made it 6-4 (maybe they should keep him at clean-up, where he hit for the first time this spring), but the O's kept tagging Bucco pitching.

Evan Meek threw 1-1/3 frames, giving up two unearned runs (Overbay misplayed a ball and Pedro had a bad throw) on three hits. Garrett Olson threw one inning and surrendered three runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out one. Only Chris Leroux, with a clean eighth, escaped unscathed.

Pedro singled in an eighth inning run and Josh Rodriguez drilled a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth to make the final tally 11-7, bad guys.

Let's hope the spring is just playtime and that the rotation can get it together before April. Otherwise, another long year is in store for the PNC faithful.

The Bucs visit Tampa Bay this afternoon. Charlie Morton takes the hill against Jeff Niemann.

-- Chris Snyder was back behind the dish; if he and Dewey can stay in one piece for the next week-and-a-half, the Bucs will probably head north with just two catchers.

-- Chris Jakubauskas is with the O's now and threw 1-2/3 perfect frames against his old teammates, striking out three. Jaku hasn't given up a run this spring.

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