Friday, March 03, 2000
Orioles 6, Reds (ss) 4
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The Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Calvin Maduro and Mike Timlin each threw two scoreless innings, and Jeff Conine hit a two-run single in the seventh Friday as the Baltimore Orioles beat a Reds' split squad 6-4.
Harold Baines homered off Mark Portugal in the second inning for a 1-0 lead and Brady Anderson had an RBI single in the third, but former Orioles' farmhand Kimera Bartee hit a two-run double in the fifth off Buddy Groom.
Mark Lewis homered in the seventh on the first pitch by Mike Trombley for a 3-2 lead, but Wady Almonte hit a game-tying single off Pat Flury, and Conine lined a two-run single to left. Conine scored on Willie Morales' single off John Riedling.
Maduro, competing for the fifth starter's job, retired six of seven batters, striking out two. He allowed a two-out triple by Hal Morris in the first.
Maduro started in place of Scott Erickson, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Friday in Los Angeles and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. He didn't have to face Ken Griffey Jr., who stayed in Sarasota with most of the Reds' regulars.
“I was nervous in the first inning and I probably tried to throw too hard,” said Maduro, 11-11 with a 3.99 ERA at Triple-A Rochester last season. “In the second inning, I came out and I was more relaxed. I was down in the zone and my pitches were working better.”
The Orioles almost scored in the fourth, but Ryan Minor was thrown out at the plate on a grounder to third. They also failed to score in the sixth after loading the bases with one out against Keith Glauber.
Cincinnati's Mike Bell led off the ninth with a homer off Al Reyes. The Reds put the potential tying runs on base before Radhames Dykhoff got the final out.
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