BALTIMORE, Apr. 23 -- Three years ago, it hardly appeared likely that Josh Towers would be starting against the Baltimore Orioles any time in what was then the near future. The organization was desperate for a promising, dependable young arm it could develop from its own system, and Towers had won six of his first seven major league starts.
It turns out there were plenty of young arms behind Towers, which was why the Orioles released him after he struggled through the 2002 season. One of them was left-hander Eric DuBose, who was terrific Friday night as the Orioles defeated Towers and the Toronto Blue Jays, 11-3, following an hour-long rain delay before 26,827 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Baltimore catcher Javy Lopez tags out Toronto's Josh Phelps, who tried to score on Kevin Cash's fielder choice. First-place Orioles have won 7 of 8; Blue Jays (4-12) are off to franchise-worst start.
(Nick Wass -- AP)
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DuBose defeated the Blue Jays for the second time in six days, yielding just two runs on five hits in seven innings. He retired the final 12 batters he faced. The Orioles (10-5) remain in first place in the America League East, having won six of their last seven games.
Towers is the second of three straight pitchers the Orioles will face who used to be in their organization. They defeated Tampa Bay's Damian Moss on Thursday, and veteran Pat Hentgen goes for the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Meantime, the Orioles will offer another promising young arm, left-hander Erik Bedard on Saturday, and organizational product-turned-ace Sidney Ponson will start Sunday.
"We like our young guys," Orioles Manager Lee Mazzilli said. "We've said that all along. They've got to get innings under their belts."
After walking the leadoff batter in two of the first three innings and allowing two third-inning runs, Dubose (2-2) settled down and went after the Toronto hitters to induce easy ground-ball outs. He allowed singles to Josh Phelps and Eric Hinske to start the fourth inning, before retiring the next 12 batters to end his night.
DuBose said the rain delay altered his preparation. It took him a couple of innings to locate his fastball, but once he did, he was into his groove. "It was a grind early on," DuBose said. "Then it clicked and I started getting confidence. . . . When you start getting your fastball going, everything else starts to flow."
It does not hurt a young pitcher's development to have a revitalized offense like the Orioles' behind him. The Orioles supported DuBose with 15 hits and chased Towers after a three-run third inning and a four-run fourth that erased Toronto's early lead.
A sacrifice fly by Rafael Palmeiro (2 for 4) in the third gave him his 1,700th career RBI and put the Orioles ahead for good, 3-2.
All four runs in the fourth came with two outs. Melvin Mora was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Miguel Tejada followed and drove in two with a slow grounder back to Towers that he threw over first baseman Carlos Delgado's head into right field. Palmeiro then singled home Mora to make it 7-2.
"With this lineup, there's not a whole lot of outs," DuBose said. "This team does more with two outs than anything. You get two outs and the next thing you know, you've got a three-spot up there."
Jay Gibbons led off the seventh inning with his third home run, which landed on Eutaw Street, only the 14th time an Oriole has hit over the right field stands.
Orioles Notes: Orioles center fielder Luis Matos was not in the starting lineup for the first time this season. After going 3 for 7 in the first two games of the season, Matos was 6 for 44 since. "Sure, it can help me," Matos said. "I'm struggling right now." . . .
Cast and crew from the NBC drama "The West Wing" were at Camden Yards prior to last night's game to film part of the storyline of the series' season finale. Martin Sheen, who plays President Josiah Bartlett, was scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.
Even though his son, Charlie, played a hard-throwing pitcher in the movies "Major League" and "Major League 2," Martin Sheen joked that he is "not a baseball player" and worried about throwing the ball over the plate.
"I'm a faker. That's what I do for a living," Sheen said. "Look for a lot of dirt on the ball."
The crew shot four takes of the scene, where Sheen walks from the dugout to the pitcher's mound and threw a pitch to Orioles catcher Javy Lopez. . . .
The Orioles recalled left-hander Bedard after the game, so he can start Saturday against the Blue Jays. Outfielder Tim Raines Jr. was sent to Class AAA Ottawa.
