Errors Aside, Cabrera Stays Grounded

After Loss to Twins, Orioles Pitcher Is Optimistic About His Improved Change-Up

FORT MYERS, Fla., March 23 -- Baltimore Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera threw 26 pitches in the first inning Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, an ordeal that was not helped any with the first of three fielding mistakes. In the fifth, he found trouble again after making two more fielding gaffes. Cabrera ended his day by issuing a run-scoring walk, prompting Manager Dave Trembley to pull him with only one out and the bases loaded.

Still, Cabrera's mind-set after the game, a 3-1 loss, was anything but pessimistic.

"Today was the best game I've had in spring training," he said. "My last four spring trainings I've tried to work on my change-up and I never got it. Now I'm feeling like I got it and that makes the difference."

All told, the Orioles' mercurial right-hander, who has been working with new pitching coach Rick Kranitz on his off-speed offering, struck out three and gave up three runs, one earned. By the time he left after 84 pitches, 12 of the 25 hitters he faced reached base: five hits, four walks, three errors -- two of which were charged to him.

But he used the change-up effectively enough to induce ground balls that -- on a better defensive day -- should have bailed him out.

"The things that me and Kranny have been trying to put together this spring training came today," said Cabrera. "I'm not looking at the couple of walks they got, the errors they got. I'm feeling strong and everything's working."

In the first, Cabrera threw over shortstop Luis Hern¿ndez's head while trying to get a force out at second. Third baseman Scott Moore followed with an error of his own, though Cabrera forced two groundballs to finish the inning.

Cabrera worked efficiently until the fifth, when he dropped a toss from first baseman Chris Heintz while trying to get a force out on leadoff hitter Jason Pridie. Cabrera then allowed Michael's Cuddyer's slow grounder to roll under his glove.

After Cabrera walked home another run, reliever Dennis Sarfate bailed him out of further damage by retiring both of the hitters he faced.

"Obviously, the fielding bug-a-boos hurt us," Trembley said. "The secondary pitchers were good. We got [Cabrera] up around 90 pitches, so that was a plus. From what we've seen from him in the past, in these kinds of situations that happened today, the wheels would have come off the wagon. But he pitched well enough today, where he didn't let that happen. That's why I'm encouraged."

Scott's Starting Job Safe

Left-handed hitter Luke Scott still expects to be the Orioles' everyday left fielder this season, though Trembley said on Sunday that right-hander Jay Payton could see some time against left-handed pitching.

"He's going to be the regular, everyday left fielder," Trembley said of Scott. "But that doesn't mean he's going to play seven days a week. I'll have to look at the matchups, what guys do against certain guys. If Payton has better numbers against some lefties than Luke Scott does, that's a no-brainer."

Of Scott's 763 career plate appearances, only 137 have come against left-handers, which is why Trembley has tried to put Scott in the lineup against lefties this spring. In his last two games against lefties -- New York Mets ace Johan Santana and Minnesota's Francisco Liriano on Sunday -- Scott has gone 0 for 5 with four strikeouts.

"It's going to be hard whenever you haven't faced them in a long time," Scott said of facing lefties. "There's adjustments to be made, as with any part of the game of baseball."

Scott has a .534 career slugging percentage against right-handers, .431 against lefties.

Position Battles Heat Up

Trembley expects to take as many as 30 players -- five more than the maximum -- to the Orioles' exhibition finale March 29 in Washington, a sign that position battles could go until the last day of spring training. But he said some roster issues may become clearer on Wednesday, the deadline for major league clubs to request unconditional release waivers without having to pay a player's full salary.