News
O's Scott getting crash course at first
Cleveland (58-71) at Baltimore (53-77), 1:35 p.m. ET
By Pete Kerzel / Special to MLB.com
08/30/09 1:21 AM ET
BALTIMORE -- Little by little, the baseball is finding Luke Scott at first base. A tricky pick to complete a double play or hurrying to make sure he's in the right spot to cut off a throw from the outfield is all part of Scott's transformation into at least a part-time first baseman for the Orioles over the season's final weeks. With first baseman Aubrey Huff gone via a trade to Detroit and the position up for grabs in 2010, Scott is deviating from his usual role as a left fielder or designated hitter to play a position he hasn't manned since his days at Oklahoma State and Indian River (Fla.) Junior College. There are other internal candidates for 2010, but Scott is getting an opportunity to entrench himself in the discussion. "It's just getting comfortable, the repetition," Scott said. "It's footwork, the speed of the game, your hands. It's being yourself and trying. You always play better when you have more repetition at something. Things are more relaxed and you're not rushing everything." First lesson, a new mitt. Scott still marvels at the size of the black-and-dark tan first baseman's glove that has become his new companion."Being an outfielder, I had a decent-sized mitt. But this is different," Scott said. "It's a waffle-flipper. Look at how big this thing is."
Still, Scott's reintroduction to first base is a crash course. He's been working diligently with third-base coach Juan Samuel, who tutors Orioles infielders, on the position's finer points. During games, Samuel is often positioned at the far end of the Baltimore dugout, so he can more easily communicate with his student. "It's going to be up to him, the will and the dedication he puts into it. He's been taking ground balls every day, the days he's not playing in the outfield and the days he's DHing," Samuel said. "It's easier to go from the infield to the outfield than the other way around. We have some situations where he finds himself in no-man's land -- like when he has to be the cutoff man. But we're keeping an eye on him. When we see something like that, we remind him." Scott is used to having the field in front of him, having the luxury in left of tracking a ball and allowing a play to develop in front of him. Suddenly, he finds himself at a reactionary position, where an innate sense of positioning and quick reflexes are chief among the job requirements. "The ball gets to you quick -- real quick," he said. Manager Dave Trembley bemoaned Scott's lack of action during the early games of the experiment. Scott would catch throws from the infielders, but few balls were hit directly at him, and he didn't have to make any difficult plays, just routine ones. "He's caught the ball. He'll probably get tested somewhere down the line, which is good, on bunt plays or the 3-6 double play," Trembley said of Scott. "He'll get out there more. He's done OK." Samuel knows the speed of the game is different at first, and he isn't expecting a flawless transformation. He'd be satisfied with Scott learning from -- but not repeating -- inevitable mistakes. "It's not as easy as it might look. We'll see how he reacts the next time the play happens, the next time he's in that position," Samuel said. "Next time it happens, hopefully you see he's got that one down and you don't have to worry about that." Pitching matchupBAL: LHP Brian Matusz (2-2, 6.46 ERA)
Matusz worked five innings in his last start on Tuesday and left with a three-run lead, only to wind up with a no-decision. The southpaw has completed five innings in all but one of his five starts, but he's also allowed at least three earned runs in four of them. Matusz has allowed five home runs in his brief big league tenure, and he's racked up 23 strikeouts against just 10 walks in his first 23 2/3 innings. CLE: RHP Justin Masterson (4-5, 4.47 ERA)
Masterson had an uneven outing against the Royals in a loss on Tuesday, giving up four runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in six innings of work. While Masterson has been strong against right-handers (.125 average against), he has struggled against lefties (.354). Until Masterson proves he can tame the left-handed opposition, he'll have trouble posting consistent starts. In his four starts with the Tribe, he's had two outstanding ones and two that were subpar. His first start of the season came against the Orioles when he was still with the Red Sox, and he earned the win by holding Baltimore to one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings. Tidbits
The Orioles made a Minor League deal on Saturday, sending Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Joey Gathright to Boston's Triple-A Pawtucket affiliate for cash or future considerations. Gathright, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs on May 8 for outfielder Ryan Freel, batted .329 with 20 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 80 games for Norfolk. ... Outfielder Nolan Reimold walked in the fourth inning on Saturday, extending his career-best streak of safely reaching base to 16 games. ... Felix Pie, who left Friday's game with a left hamstring problem, was available Saturday, but he did not play. Baltimore also got back first baseman Michael Aubrey, who had been sidelined with a rib-cage injury sustained while swinging a bat before Thursday's game. Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• MASN 2 On radio
• 105.7 The Fan Up next
• Monday: Yankees (Andy Pettitte, 11-6, 4.18) at Orioles (Jeremy Guthrie, 9-12, 5.26), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Yankees (TBD) at Orioles (David Hernandez, 4-6, 4.24), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Yankees (TBD) at Orioles (Jason Berken, 4-11, 6.33), 7:05 p.m. ET
Pete Kerzel is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
