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A.L. East

Sporting News, The, April 22, 2005

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Club officials are concerned about the season debut of RHP Daniel Cabrera, who reverted to old ways after an impressive showing in spring training. Cabrera lost his release point, began firing the ball and threw at A's 1B Scott Hatteborg in frustration. Pitching coach Ray Mille/still expects Cabrera to have a fine season, but the question is whether he can be depended on to deliver in adverse situations.... Manager Lee Mazzilli said Jay Gibbons primarily would play first base this season, but Rafael Palmeiro started there the first two games and should get a chunk of starts there as Gibbons gets more comfortable after moving from right field this year. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Gibbons' inexperience at first base showed in a crucial mistake he made during a loss to the A's last week. He was in the wrong place to cover a sacrifice bunt by Oakland's Mark Kotsay, cutting off a throw to first, where 2B Bran Roberts stood waiting for the ball.--Gary Washburn

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BOSTON RED SOX

The lower part of the Red Sox's order should give teams fits this season. Besides being good hitters, 3B Bill Mueller and 2B Mark Bellhorn, who bat eighth and ninth, are good at battling deep into counts, which drives up pitch counts.... 1B Kevin Millar, who had just 21 RBIs the first three months of last season, has come out swinging a hot bat this year. It's important for Millar to be productive because that prevents opponents from being too careful with LF Manny Ramirez and DH David Ortiz. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: No one is taking better advantage of his new resources than RHP Matt Clement, who has had a new catcher nearly every year of his career. So he is glad he can pick Jason Vadtek's brain for the next few years. The two clicked early in spring training. After learning a lot from RHP Greg Maddux with the Cubs last season, Clement is picking up everything he can from RHP Curt Schilling and LHP David Wells.--Ian Browne

TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS

The starting pitchers have been effective early because they have been throwing strikes and getting hitters to put the ball in play. That takes advantage of the club's strength: defense. In the first five games, the five starters all went at least five innings and combined held opponents to a .180 batting average.... Manager Lou Piniella believes speed on the bases can lead to 3-run homers because having fast runners on base translates to more fastballs and a distracted pitcher. In addition, it causes most pitchers to go to a slide step, which detracts from the speed of their pitches. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: LHP Scott Kazmir knows opponents try to wait him out in order to get his pitch count up and take some steam off his 96-mph fastball. To counter that approach, Kazmir says he tries to get ahead in the count in the early innings. In addition, he also pitches down and away to hitters early in the count at times to induce ground balls so he can conserve pitches.--Bill Chastain

NEW YORK YANKEES

RHP Tanyon Sturtze, the swingman in the bullpen, appears comfortable in his short-relief/setup role. By sticking exclusively to his fastball and splitter, he can be more aggressive against hitters, knowing he won't be seeing them again in the game. ... The team isn't overly concerned about RHP Mariano Rivera's early struggles. His velocity remains in the low to mid-90s, and his cutter still is one of the nastiest pitches in the game. His mental toughness should help him overcome early-season adversity. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The Yankees entered the season hoping to use a five-man rotation, but RHP Kevin Brown's balky back could cause them to alter their plans. Sturtze or prospect RHP Chien-Ming Wang, who's pitching in Class AAA, could be options to fill in for Brown if needed, but New York also could decide to rely on its other four starters and skip the fifth spot as often as possible until Brown shows he can physically handle the workload.--Mark Feinsand

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

1B Eric Hinske is holding his hands higher in his batting stance, hoping to add more punch to his line-drive stroke. With his hands set lower, he jammed himself trying to adjust to slower pitches. Now he can come through the hitting zone without crowding himself. Hinske is hoping the new stance and a new position will help boost his offensive production.... Toronto plans to use DH Shea Hillenbrand in the field at least once or twice per week. Not only is he capable defensively at both corner infield spots, but the Jays think his offense might suffer if he's used only as a DH. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The team plans to use LHP Scott Schoeneweis up to five times per week if game situations dictate and his arm holds up. The former starter is the Jays' only lefthanded reliever, which means he'll be called on nearly every time they face a tough lefthanded hitter late in the game. If the opposing team has a few lefties bunched together, he'll be used for an entire inning.--Spencer Fordin

A.L. East

Sporting News, The, April 22, 2005

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