Dustin McGowan, RH (0-0, 3.27/1.55) v. Matt Albers, RH (1-0, 0.00/0.47)
Game time is 7:05 on MASN. The battle for AL East supremacy BEGINS!
Albers is making his first Orioles start, after Dave Trembley "looked it up and saw" that he made 18 starts for the Astros last year. Really let that one sink in. Trembley had a guy in the running for the fifth starter's job this spring, threw him in the bullpen, and was apparently unaware that he was a starter for the Houston Astros in 2007. If that's not a manager on top of things, I don't know what is.
Fat Albers has done a good job from the pen in the young season, striking out seven in six and a third and not conceding a single walk, which is a mild surprise given his past command/control problems in the minors. Many scouts and such have said that he might be best off in the bullpen, but what exactly would the Orioles be losing giving him a shot at starting? With Burres and Trachsel in the rotation and Adam Loewen's injury history, I expect we'll see him get a real shot at some point, even if it's only because someone else is a complete failure.
McGowan had a really good 2007 despite the Blue Jays' pretty clear mishandling of him for a couple of seasons. He's just turned 26 in late March, has good stuff and was damn tough to hit last season, giving up just 146 hits in an out under 170 innings pitched.
FUN STATS, ETC.
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Too bad we don't have Jay Gibbons today. No, seriously -- he's 5-for-9 with a homer against McGowan. But Brian Roberts is 4-for-8 with a homer against Big Dust. -
Scott Rolen hits .304/.421/.617 against the Orioles. Luckily, he's on the DL. -
Frank Thomas hits .292/.425/.515 with 15 homers in 65 career games at Camden Yards. -
In 216 career at-bats against the Jays, Ramon Hernandez hits .231/.282/.324.
BLUE JAYS STARTING LINEUP
D Eckstein, SS .250/.340 0 6
M Stairs, RF .296/.345 1 1
A Hill, 2B .326/.385 1 9
V Wells, CF .320/.393 3 12
F Thomas, DH .184/.354 3 10
L Overbay, 1B .267/.327 0 5
S Stewart, LF .280/.387 0 2
G Zaun, C .258/.281 0 2
J Inglett, 3B .500/.444 0 3
ORIOLES STARTING LINEUP
B Roberts, 2B .311/.404 1 5
M Mora, 3B .227/.292 2 5
N Markakis, RF .333/.490 1 4
K Millar, 1B .227/.320 1 4
A Huff, DH .244/.320 2 11
L Scott, LF .361/.439 1 6
R Hernandez, C .194/.205 2 7
A Jones, CF .211/.225 0 2
L Hernandez, SS .250/.346 0 3