David Hernandez Outduels John Lackey, Orioles Beat Red Sox 6-1

by

Mar 27, 2010

David Hernandez Outduels John Lackey, Orioles Beat Red Sox 6-1 SARASOTA, Fla. — David Hernandez
is making it difficult for Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley to
fill out his starting rotation.

Hernandez pitched five scoreless
innings Saturday in a duel with John Lackey, leading the Orioles to a
6-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

The competition for the fifth spot in
Baltimore's rotation remains unsettled. Hernandez — who allowed four
hits, walked two and struck out six — is trying to beat out Chris
Tillman
and Jason Berken.

"I would say we're going to go 15
rounds with it. We're going to go the distance," Trembley said. "We'll
keep running these guys out there and try to make the right decision.
Guys are answering the bell, they're making it real tough for me, and I
like it."

After yielding three homers in 10
previous innings this spring, Hernandez did not allow an extra-base hit
against Boston and lowered his ERA to 3.00. After the Red Sox loaded the
bases with no outs in the fourth, the right-hander struck out Mitch
Dening
, Marco Scutaro and Josh Reddick.

"It's never fun with the bases loaded.
I was trying to get out of there [allowing] one or two runs," Hernandez
said.

Lackey extended his run of scoreless
innings this spring to 13 before yielding RBI singles to Cesar Izturis
and Felix Pie in the fifth. Slotted to be the No. 3 man in the Boston
rotation, the right-hander concluded his performance with a perfect
sixth.

"He gets it and throws it over the
plate. We were real happy," manager Terry Francona said. "He continues
to pound the zone. He stays down and is efficient."

Francona said Lackey finished his
afternoon by throwing 15 more pitches in the bullpen.

Alan Embree, who signed a minor
league contract with Boston last week, got two outs in the eighth but
allowed three runs, two hits and a walk in his spring debut.

"I think you have back up and realize
it's his first time out," Francona said. "Everybody else has been down
here for a while and they look like it. The ball came out of his hand OK
… we've just got to get some reps under his belt."

Boston left fielder Jeremy Hermida
left with right hamstring tightness, but Francona said it was a
precautionary move.

"I don't think it was anything. It
just didn't seem like a good thing to keep him in the game," Francona
said. "He said, 'I feel it,' and I said, 'That's enough.'"

Boston's lone run came on a
ninth-inning sacrifice fly by Tug Hulett.

Baltimore is 2-2 against the Red Sox
this spring after going 2-16 against Boston last year. Saturday's win
came two days after the Orioles pinned an 8-0 loss on the New York
Yankees.

"Beating anybody is important,"
Hernandez said, "but if you can beat your divisional opponents over and
over, that definitely builds confidence going into the regular season."

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