Calvin Maduro

At The Ballpark in Arlington (Texas) Day....Time....TV....Starters Tonight....8:35....CSN....RHP Sidney Ponson (5-6, 4.28) vs. RHP Rick Helling (7-8, 5.29) Tomorrow....6:05....CSN....RHP Calvin Maduro (0-2, 3.38) Game 1 vs. LHP Doug Davis (5-7, 4.65) Tomorrow....CSN....Undecided Game 2 vs. Undecided Thursday....8:35....CSN....RHP Josh Towers (6-4, 2.85) vs. LHP Darren Oliver (7-6, 6.07) Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) Rangers update These teams were supposed to play three games at Camden Yards last week until Wednesday's train accident cut the series to one game and forced tomorrow's doubleheader.

With their schedule a mess after Wednesday's train derailment, which brought three postponements and necessitated yesterday's split doubleheader, the Orioles will turn to Calvin Maduro as Wednesday's starter against the Texas Rangers. Maduro has made nine relief appearances this season, going 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA. His most impressive outing came five days ago, when he tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 1 of Wednesday's scheduled doubleheader against the Rangers. Twice removed from the 40-man roster since last season ended, Maduro hasn't started a game since April 15, 2000, in Minnesota.

TORONTO - The usual pre-game stretching exercises Sunday were spiced up a little for pitcher Jay Spurgeon. They included word that he wouldn't be making his scheduled start for Triple-A Rochester. Something about a promotion to the Orioles. "It was definitely a welcome surprise," he said. "I was five minutes away from pitching." Now he feels a world away from the International League. Making the recall more unexpected was Spurgeon's inability to put together an impressive string of appearances.

Not wanting to reach for any excuses, Orioles manager Mike Hargrove keeps finding them at arm's length. With his luck, he'd pull a muscle. Injuries? Who knows them better than Hargrove? He had another player unavailable yesterday after Mike Kinkade jammed his left thumb while attempting a diving catch in Saturday's game. Hargrove already needed to give rookie shortstop Brian Roberts the day off after Saturday's collision with Jerry Hairston, and he couldn't use relievers B.J. Ryan (elbow)

Last July, the Orioles decided it was time to give Richard Stahl's back some attention. Bothered by pain in the lower back that involved three stress fractures, the No. 1 draft choice from 1999 was shut down while his team, the Delmarva Shorebirds, enjoyed an unlikely romp to the South Atlantic League championship. His stock was too valuable. A winter of rehabilitation brought the 6-foot-7 left-hander back to par. Stahl returned to the Shorebirds in fine form, his mid-90s fastball ripping and snorting.

**** Jason Johnson: Last year's spring washout was this spring's Most Valuable Oriole. Jay Gibbons: Hope he stays healthy so fans can watch him rake. Delino DeShields: No one better embodies a team player. Position switch has given his career a second wind. *** Brady Anderson: Accused of disinterest last season, he showed what a difference being healthy makes. Willis Roberts: Jose Mercedes II? Mark Wiley: O's latest pitching coach accomplished the improbable - he earned a tough crowd's respect in a matter of weeks.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Orioles made two more roster moves before yesterday's 4-3 win over the New York Mets, leaving them with 27 players on their active camp roster as they departed South Florida and approached their final game of the exhibition schedule. As expected, reliever Alan Mills was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right shoulder, requiring the Orioles to make one more pitching move to get down to 11 before Opening Day. If production is the deciding factor - and it apparently will be - Calvin Maduro has become an easy choice over left-hander John Bale after yesterday running his scoreless-innings streak to 14 1/3 this spring.

Rating the players * * * * Calvin Maduro: Stealth nonroster relief candidate pitched a perfect sixth inning and has retired his past 10 hitters faced. Should avoid today's round of cuts. Jeff Conine: Three at-bats, three hits and his third triple and 10th extra-base hit of camp. Trade candidate also is leading Orioles with a .385 average. Anyone interested? Jerry Hairston: Awoke from a funk with three hits and saved at least one run with a running catch-and-throw from behind second base in the second inning.

Cards 8, Orioles 1 Rating the players *** Jay Gibbons: Gets his third double of the spring and runs down a pop-up near the stands beside the Cardinals' dugout, a difficult play that shows he's not all thumbs in the field. Greg Myers: Reaches base twice, including a walk. Compared with the other Orioles, he was on fire. *** Brady Anderson: Goes 0-for-3 and takes a hard spill in left field, but also throws out a runner trying to advance to second. Chad Paronto: Retires the first five batters he faces before running into trouble.

DALLAS -- Searching for the right climate, the Orioles landed here yesterday only to discover a hostile environment. A "busy" day of talk, talk and more talk with numerous teams and agents suggested little promise for purchasing a quality starting pitcher, and these winter meetings have given no indication of becoming fertile trading ground. The Orioles technically remain alive for free-agent pitcher Kevin Appier, but their best opportunity increasingly appears to be dealing for a small-market arm. The Orioles also appear to be leaning toward a pursuit of Mike Bordick over Alex Gonzalez as their short-term shortstop.