Spring Training Comes To An End

Well, this was it...the final week of Grapefruit League play. With a win today (the O's are losing 8-4 in the ninth inning), the Birds would finish Spring Training with a .500 (12-12-6) record, which is all you can really hope for in the regular season. The O's have yet to announce their Opening Day starter, but as stated last week, all signs point to Jake Arrieta taking the mound at Camden Yards on Friday April 6. Here's a few highlights from week four in Florida:

• 03/25- O's 3, Phillies 3- Brian Matusz allowed three runs on six hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings, striking out two. Nolan Reimold homered for the second consecutive game
• 03/26- O's 4, Pirates 1- Tommy Hunter allowed just one hit (a double) and a walk over six innings, fanning five
• 03/27- Twins 5, O's 0- Tsuyoshi Wada made his first spring start and allowed four runs on four hits and two walks in just three innings of work
• 03/28- Jays 9, O's 3- Dana Eveland allowed three runs through four innings; Alfredo Simon allowed another six runs to cross in just two innings of relief (both pitchers were released later in the week)
• 03/29- O's 4, Yankees 3- Jason Hammel allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking none and fanning five; Mark Reynolds knocked in two runs; Matt Wieters doubled and tripled
• 03/30- Tigers 6, O's 4- Brian Matusz made his final start of the spring, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over five frames, fanning four; Adam Jones launched his fourth homer
• 03/31- O's 6, Pirates 6- Jake Arrieta surrendered six runs on eight hits and two walks in just five innings; three Orioles went deep
• 04/01- Rays 8, O's 5- Wei-Yin Chen allowed seven runs (three earned) over five innings in his final start of the season; J.J. Hardy homered twice; Nick Markakis homered

So that's it for Spring Training 2012. The Orioles will participate in three more contests (two college games and then a game against the Norfolk Tides) before facing the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series starting April 6 at Camden Yards. The starting rotation is pretty much set: Jake Arrieta is projected to be the Opening Day starter, with Tommy Hunter also in the mix. Tsuyoshi Wada, Jason Hammel and Brian Matusz will make up the rest of the five-man rotation.