By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 21, 1999; Page D1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 20 – With his season fading quickly, with half his starting infield suddenly on the disabled list, and with his job status seeming more tenuous by the day, Baltimore Orioles Manager Ray Miller called a meeting of his team before tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Topic number one, as it has been all season, was pitching. But clearly, the message didn't get through to Scott Erickson. In perhaps the Orioles' worst pitching performance in a season full of them, Erickson gave up all five runs in 1 2/3 innings in a 5-3 loss – leaving Miller puzzled by his ineffectiveness.

"I don't know what [Erickson's] problem was," Miller said. "That was the worst stuff I've seen in him in three years. ... His stuff's not good enough now. I don't see the good sinker. I don't see the good velocity."

The loss, which came on the same day the club placed third baseman Cal Ripken (nerve irritation in back) and first baseman Will Clark (broken left thumb) on the disabled list, dropped the Orioles' record to an American League-worst 3-10.

The Orioles still haven't won a game started by a pitcher other than Mike Mussina, who starts Wednesday night against the Devil Rays and must win to ensure the Orioles don't lose their fifth consecutive series this season.

Erickson's latest puzzling performance raised his ERA to 12.41. Opposing batters are hitting a staggering .433 against him, including a .484 average by left-handed hitters. He has lost seven of nine starts in 1999, including spring training.

"I'm about as low as I can go now," Erickson said. "I'm not real smooth right now. I'm not real good. It's hard to hide it with numbers like that. But it's not from lack of effort. ... I'm just not making good pitches."

Throughout Erickson's struggles, the club has professed confidence in him, saying it is nothing to worry about. But after tonight's performance, perhaps the time has come to worry.

His velocity, normally up to 93-94 mph, never got above 88 tonight. Whereas in previous starts, Miller felt Erickson was overthrowing, tonight it appeared he was underthrowing.

"Last time in New York, I was throwing as hard as I possibly could, and that didn't work so well," Erickson said. "So tonight I was trying to make good pitches. I don't know about the velocity. Everybody has different opinions, but I don't doubt that because I wasn't popping the ball like I normally do. But location is more important than velocity."

Erickson has complained about Miller's decision to start him on five days' rest instead of his usual four, and about his lack of work in the spring. However, tonight Miller implied that Erickson was making excuses.

"He had an excuse last time about the off-days," Miller said. "He's just off-track now and he has to find a way to get back on. Sometimes you have to find a way yourself. I'm not going to make any excuses for him. Nobody needs excuses. I certainly don't get any."

In the pregame meeting, Miller spoke to the entire team, but especially to the pitchers, whose ineffectiveness has been largely to blame for the team's poor start. Had Miller waited until after the game, he could have used a tape of Erickson's shaky performance as Exhibit A of everything Miller sees wrong with his club's pitching.

Miller has complained that his pitchers are not finishing off hitters after getting ahead in the count; five of the Devil Rays' eight hits off Erickson came after Erickson went ahead either 0-2, 1-2 or 0-1.

Miller has complained about his pitchers running up too many 3-2 counts; Erickson went 3-2 to three of the five hitters he faced in the first, and twice more in the second.

Miller has complained about his pitchers throwing too many pitches, thus tiring out too soon; Erickson threw 26 pitches in the first inning, 35 in the second.

Right-handed long reliever Ricky Bones had to bail out Erickson in the second inning, and kept the Orioles in the game by tossing 4 1/3 shutout innings. One sign that your starting pitching is ailing: When your top long reliever (Bones) has only two-thirds of an inning less work than your number two starter (Erickson).

One tell-tale sign that something isn't right with Erickson: He led the American League each of the last three years in inducing ground balls, but this season he is not even in the top 10.

Tonight, Miller berated Erickson during a trip to the mound in the second inning, after Quinton McCracken singled off Erickson's foot – the fifth consecutive hit Erickson allowed in the inning. Obviously buoyed by Miller's visit, Erickson immediately walked Martinez on four pitches. Two batters later, he was gone.

While the Orioles' pitching remains in a critical state, suddenly the Orioles' hitting has quieted.

Miller tried to minimize the loss of Clark's production in the middle of the order by moving usual leadoff hitter Brady Anderson to the number three spot – Anderson's first appearance there since Sept. 4, 1990 – and by moving Delino DeShields to leadoff.