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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
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| Myers |
BALTIMORE (AP) – Greg Myers has spent much of his career trying
to get some playing time.
Now his manager is begging him to play every day.
Myers kept up his surprising hitting spree Monday night, driving
in three runs with a homer and a two-run single as the Baltimore
Orioles beat Tampa Bay 6-2.
Myers, a seldom-used backup catcher, is 6-for-11 with two homers
and eight RBI over a three-game span. He hit .224 with three
homers and 12 RBI in 43 games last season.
Making a third straight start for the first time since May 1999,
Myers gave Baltimore a 1-0 lead in the second inning with his
second homer in two games. His two-run single capped a three-run
seventh that put the Orioles up 5-1.
Myers has half of Baltimore's four homers this season. He didn't
hit his first home run last year until May 18.
"I think we'll want to run Greg out there again tomorrow,"
Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. "I made sure to ask him
tonight if I was wearing him out."
Perhaps concerned about getting some rest, Myers bolted from the
clubhouse before reporters arrived.
But his numbers say it all: In addition to leading the Orioles
in batting average (.467), homers (two) and RBI (eight), Myers'
robust .867 slugging percentage is more than twice that of any of
his teammates with more than one at-bat.
Jason Johnson (1-0) became the first Baltimore starter to earn a
victory this season, allowing one run and three hits in six
innings. He was 1-10 with a 7.02 ERA last year.
"I'm more relaxed and loose out there on the mound," Johnson
said. "Last year I put a lot more pressure on myself than I needed
to."
Felix Martinez and Greg Vaughn drove in runs for the Devil Rays,
looking for their first series win of the year. The teams split the
four games.
"This would have been a good night to get a win and go home
feeling good about ourselves," catcher John Flaherty said, "but
we just didn't get anything going offensively."
A crowd of 24,558 showed up on a chilly night, only the fourth
time in the 10-year history of Camden Yards that the Orioles drew
fewer than 30,000 fans. It's the smallest crowd at the ballpark for
a regularly scheduled game.
The Devil Rays made it 1-1 in the fifth when Martinez singled in
Flaherty, who reached on a two-out double. Baltimore regained the
lead in its half when Jerry Hairston hit a leadoff single off Ryan
Rupe (0-2), stole second and scored on a two-out single by Delino
DeShields.
Baltimore took advantage of Ken Hill's wildness to pull away in
the seventh. Hill hit Hairston with a pitch and issued two straight
walks, loading the bases, then pulled catcher Flaherty off the
plate after fielding a grounder to the mound.
"I tried to get the ball out of my glove, then I rushed it,"
Hill said. "I've got to make that play."
After Hill threw his second wild pitch of the inning, Myers
lined a single to right.
Mike Bordick hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth for Baltimore,
and Vaughn delivered a run-scoring fly ball in the ninth.
Game notes
Until Hairston stole second base in the fifth, the Devil
Rays were the only team in the majors that did not allow a steal.
... Orioles C Brook Fordyce was back in the lineup after missing
successive starts for the first time since joining the team last
July. Myers played DH. ... Tampa Bay 2B Bobby Smith, designated for
assignment on April 9, accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A
Durham.
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Frustrated Castilla wants out of Tampa Bay – period
RECAPS
Boston 4
NY Yankees 1
Baltimore 6
Tampa Bay 2
Kansas City 5
Minnesota 3
Oakland 6
Anaheim 3
Seattle 9
Texas 7
Pittsburgh 3
Houston 0
NY Mets 4
Montreal 3
Atlanta 4
Florida 3
Philadelphia 0
Chicago Cubs 0
Arizona 2
St. Louis 1
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