By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 9, 1999; Page D1

BALTIMORE, April 8 – Something has been missing from the Baltimore Orioles in this young season, but what? During this season-opening, three-game series against Tampa Bay at Camden Yards, which culminated in a 6-3 loss tonight, the Orioles hit .311 as a team, pitched capably if not spectacularly and failed to commit an error, yet still came away with two losses to the upstart Devil Rays.

"It's too early to go through these three games, and put your finger on something and say, 'That's what's wrong,'" Orioles first baseman Will Clark said. "Baseball just does that to you sometimes."

The Orioles' most tangible missing piece, of course, has been Cal Ripken. And one could interpret the results of this series as proving the Orioles still need him.

Ripken, the Orioles' iconic third baseman, missed his second consecutive start tonight due to continuing back stiffness. Though Ripken said he expects to play Friday night, the possibility of a stay on the disabled list – something Ripken has never had to do before, and says will not happen this time – becomes greater with each day he is out of the lineup.

"It makes sense to give it one more day," Ripken said today before the game. " ... I'm sure I could go out there and do a lot of things. But I'm trying to curb some of the excitement and optimism."

While the their iron man watched from the bench, the Orioles sent their iron arm to the mound in hopes of salvaging a series win. Scott Erickson almost never misses starts. He hates coming out of games.

Erickson (0-1) breezed through the Devil Rays' order the first time through, allowing only a walk to number nine hitter Kevin Stocker in the third. But Stocker later scored on Dave Martinez's single. Martinez also doubled home two of the Devil Rays' three runs in the fifth, giving him seven RBI in the last two games.

"I lost the game on a 2-0 change up [to Martinez], which is my worst pitch," said Erickson. "I was trying to fool him. It didn't work. I have to stay away from stupid pitches."

With Mike Mussina and Juan Guzman having largely non-effective opening starts, and with Sidney Ponson on the mound Friday coming off an exasperating spring – not to mention the fifth-starter shuffle – there already is some concern about the state of the Orioles' starting rotation.

Manager Ray Miller said of his pitchers, "I'm not going to lose faith in these guys. In the long grind, this is going to be a good pitching staff. We've got more depth there than most teams."

The Orioles have suffered no lack of offense without Ripken. The top four hitters in the order (Brady Anderson, Mike Bordick, Will Clark and Albert Belle) hit a combined .400 with 11 RBI in the series. What they have lacked is clutch hitting, stranding 28 runners in the three games.

"We were always one hit away," Miller said. "We had our chances. We just didn't get the big hit."

Asked whether a first-ever trip to the disabled list is a possibility, Ripken said, "Absolutely not." And Manager Ray Miller agreed, saying, "That's not under consideration right now."

However, General Manager Frank Wren said if Ripken is not ready to play by this weekend, the disabled list would have to be considered.

"In the first five days [of the season], if you're encouraged by what you're seeing, you live with it. In the second five days, that's when you have to say, 'If this isn't making progress, we've got to DL him,'" Wren said. However, Wren also said Ripken's condition has improved.

Complicating matters is the fact the Orioles will have to make a roster move soon to make room for second baseman Delino DeShields, who is eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday. If Ripken is deemed healthy, the club likely will send down either rookie Willis Otanez or Jesse Garcia. Otanez, who has started in place of Ripken the last two nights, went 1 for 3 and drove in a run tonight.

DeShields, who broke his left thumb the first week of spring training, went 4-for-9 in a simulated game at the Orioles' minor-league camp in Sarasota, Fla., on Wednesday, and will play Friday night for Class AA Bowie.

Orioles Notes
The Orioles announced that right-hander Doug Linton will be activated to start Sunday's game against Toronto. The club will announce a roster move after Saturday's game, possibly sending down left-handed pitcher Doug Johns. ...

The May 3 exhibition against the Cuban national team at Camden Yards has been slated for a 7:35 p.m. start, and tickets will be distributed in the same manner as Opening Day and post-season tickets, with season-ticket holders getting first priority. ...

Veteran Chris Hoiles, who was released by the Orioles on April 2, has accepted the club's offer to be a roving minor-league catching instructor this season. Hoiles said today he expects to retire from playing unless his degenerative hip condition "makes a miraculous recovery." ...