Spring training is not a whole lot of fun for the Orioles so far, particularly O's starting pitchers. Whether that will be any different today under the early guidance of Vance Worley is something we'll find out soon. Not that we'll get to watch - well, if you are an MLB.tv subscriber, you can, but this game isn't on TV in Baltimore.
It is on the radio, though, so you can get Joe and Jim telling you about what's going on, all the cheerful thoughts you can get if six guys are walked in an inning and a third again.
Here is the lineup for today's contest against the Blue Jays in Dunedin:
1. Joey Rickard CF
2. Jonathan Schoop 2B
3. Mark Trumbo DH
4. Christian Walker 1B
5. Alfredo Marte LF
6. Dariel Alvarez RF
7. Francisco Pena C
8. Ryan Flaherty 3B
9. Paul Janish SS
SP - Vance Worley - RHP
Not exactly a lineup that's going to be resembling very many regular season Orioles lineups, is it? Or at least, if any regular season lineup ever looks like this, then something has surely gone horribly wrong - probably more than one something has gone horribly wrong.
So even if the O's get shut out or no hit or something today, it doesn't matter much. Plus it's still a month to go to Opening Day, and nothing counts, so it wouldn't matter anyway! Maybe the pitchers can at least avoid giving up double digit runs, though.
Back in Sarasota today, Chris Tillman threw some pitches under the watchful eye of Buck Showalter and Dave Wallace:
Tillman throwing pic.twitter.com/qRDfGolac1
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) March 4, 2016