Marlins

Nasty stuff Erik Bedard extended his scoreless-innings streak to five yesterday by blanking the Florida Marlins until Hayden Penn replaced him in the fourth. Bedard allowed one hit, a leadoff single by Josh Willingham in the second, and struck out four. Bedard has retired 15 of the 16 batters he's faced in two starts. "I felt OK," he said. "I was locating and throwing all my pitches for strikes." Scraping for runs Neither team scored until the seventh inning, when the floodgates opened.

Moves Baseball INDIANS -- Recalled P Aaron Laffey from Triple-A Buffalo. Optioned P Edward Mujica to Buffalo. MARLINS -- Signed P Byung-Hyun Kim. Optioned P Ross Wolf to Triple-A Albuquerque. PADRES -- Placed 2B Marcus Giles on 15-day DL. Recalled IF Craig Stansberry from Triple-A Portland. PIRATES -- Recalled P Romulo Sanchez from Double-A Altoona. Placed P Salomon Torres on 15-day DL. REDS -- Recalled P Matt Belisle from Triple-A Louisville. Optioned P Todd Coffey to Louisville.

JUPITER, FLA. -- Scheduled to start yesterday's split-squad game against the Florida Marlins, Orioles pitcher Hayden Penn was held back until the fifth inning after disappointing team officials by leaving his equipment bag in Fort Lauderdale and making a return trip from Jupiter. Jeremy Guthrie made his first spring start and went two innings. Jon Leicester replaced him and also threw two, leaving Penn to wait until the fifth. Red Sox@Orioles Today, 1:05 p.m., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., MASN, 105.7 FM

Highlights and lowlights from the Orioles' 4-3 loss to the Florida Marlins in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.DOWN -- Mike Timlin: Allows tiebreaking run in the ninth on double by Kevin Orie, preventing extra innings. No, wait, that's a good thing.UP -- Jeff Reboulet: Two singles and a walk in the No. 9 spot, and turns a beautiful double play.UP -- Will Clark: Goes 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .466. Anybody heard from Raffy?UP -- Doug Linton: Wriggles out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to complete two scoreless innings.

Quote: "I pitched sort of like the weather today. Cloudy, overcast, not too good, not too bad." -- Cardinals starter Kent Merker, who gave up five runs on six hits and struck out six in 5 2/3 inningsIt's a fact: The Astros and Marlins played nine innings yesterday in 2: 12 after taking 5: 44 to play 16 Friday night.Who's hot: The Mets bullpen has pitched 24 straight scoreless innings.Who's not: The Marlins' Dennis Springer is winless in six starts since July 21.On deck: Second baseman Quilvio Veras, eligible to come off the DL today, likely won't play until the Padres visit Philadelphia tomorrow.

Highlights and lowlights from the Orioles' 5-4 loss to the Florida Marlins in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.UP -- Harold Baines: Had been 0-for-7 this spring until a two-run homer to right. Also doubled in a run in the fifth.UP -- Jeff Reboulet: Just starting two straight games would have been sufficient, but he also singled and made a couple nice fielding plays.DOWN -- Danny Clyburn: Might want to pick up the pace a little in left field.DOWN -- Rocky Coppinger: Survived yesterday's cuts but must keep the ball in the park.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Last night was more than another meaningless exhibition between the Orioles and Florida Marlins.That became obvious when Marlins owner John Henry pulled into the team parking lot, rolled his Jaguar into Peter Angelos' spot, briefly stopped inside the Orioles administrative offices, then walked into a crowd of about 200 Cuban protesters to lend his opposition to the Orioles' March 28 game in Havana against the Cuban national team."I...

Be the first on your block to cheer for Oriole Albert Belle -- and while you're at it, soak up a little March sunshine.Spring training is coming soon to 19 ballparks across Florida, with the new-look Baltimore Orioles scheduled to appear in seven of them, and make stops in Georgia and Alabama before winging homeward in early April.The preseason Orioles are based in Fort Lauderdale, where they are scheduled to play nine of their 14 "home" games in the first two weeks of spring training. This will prove convenient for fans hoping to see as much as possible of the Orioles with the least amount of travel.

Highlights and lowlights from the Orioles' 2-0 victory over the Florida Marlins in Viera, Fla.UP -- Cal Ripken: The last day in Florida brings his first home run.UP -- Juan Guzman: If he's this good when the games count, clear space for the Cy Young.UP -- B. J. Surhoff: Reaches base three times and steals second.UP -- Doug Johns: Two scoreless innings in relief.EVEN -- Jesse Garcia: Singles in his first at-bat, but gets picked off. Hey, he did play 13 innings the night before.UP -- Rich Amaral: Has proved that he's healthy enough to start the season.

MIAMI -- The Orioles endured two rain delays, an artificially shortened start by Mike Mussina and the predictable anxiety of four innings from their bullpen last night. In return for 5: 18 of water torture, they absorbed a 2-1 loss in the opener of a doubleheader against the Florida Marlins because a stop-and-start offense again stopped and Jesse Orosco couldn't throw strikes to an unheralded lineup.Orosco's two-out walk of second baseman Luis Castillo capped the loss, which dropped the Orioles to 21-35 and behind the $18 million Marlins for the game's second-worst record.

MIAMI - -The final indignity in a series full of them for the Orioles came in the eighth inning Thursday night after Hanley Ramirez had connected for his second grand slam in three days. While the Florida Marlins superstar took a well-deserved curtain call amid chants of "Hanley, Hanley," one fan waved a broom up and down the top of the Orioles' dugout. A road trip that started with so much promise ended with another lifeless display by the Orioles, who were throttled, 11-3, before an announced 12,822 and couldn't escape Land Shark Stadium soon enough.

MIAMI - -This was the last way that the Orioles wanted their five-game winning streak and one of their most improbable comebacks of the season to end. Trailing by three runs with two outs and nobody on in the ninth, the Orioles strung together five straight singles to tie a game that minutes earlier they appeared to have no chance of winning. However, they were forced to trudge off the field in the bottom of the 12th as the Florida Marlins celebrated a 7-6 victory before what remained of an announced 10,222 on Tuesday night at Land Shark Stadium.

PHILADELPHIA - - Orioles shortstop Robert Andino scurried to his right to field the bouncer in the hole and fired an accurate, off-balance throw to get speedy Jimmy Rollins by a step at first base. Two innings later, Andino sprinted into shallow left field and made a nifty over-the-shoulder catch on Rollins' blooper. In the fifth inning, Andino stopped abruptly, shifted to his right after Jayson Werth's liner up the middle deflected off pitcher Brad Bergesen's foot, and got the out at first base.

Florida took two of three from the Yankees this past weekend and has gone a combined 6-3 against the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees this month. Florida star shortstop Hanley Ramirez is 12-for-33 over his past nine games, and he broke a 26-game homerless streak with a two-run shot off Brett Tomko on Sunday. First baseman Jorge Cantu hit seven homers in April, but he has only two since. Outfielder Cody Ross is having a strong June with a .294 average, five homers and 13 RBIs in 19 games. Kiko Calero, who had a 2.01 ERA and a team-leading 36 appearances, went on the disabled list Sunday, robbing the Marlins of one of their top relievers.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -With Wednesday's trade of Hayden Penn to the Florida Marlins, the Orioles not only parted ways with their one-time top pitching prospect, but they also further solidified their Opening Day roster. In exchange for Penn, who was out of options and opportunity, the Orioles acquired slick-fielding infielder Robert Andino, who will make the team as a backup shortstop. Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail confirmed the trade means the team will go with 13 position players and only 12 pitchers.

CALL IT A COMEBACK The Orioles trailed the Florida Marlins 6-0 after one inning Friday and were staring at a ninth straight Grapefruit League loss. They got back into the game on the strength of three home runs, and then won it on Luke Scott's tie-breaking, two-run shot in the ninth off Marlins lefty Dan Meyer. Scott hit a solo homer in the second inning, Ty Wigginton hit a three-run shot in the third, and Ryan Freel's two-run homer in the sixth gave the Orioles their first lead. ON DECK In his fourth start, right-hander Adam Eaton will face Cardinals right-hander Todd Wellemeyer at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., on Saturday.

WIETERS KEEPS SWINGING Matt Wieters seems intent on making the club's decision on whether to keep him or start him at Triple-A as hard as possible. The Orioles' switch-hitting catcher had two more hits, including an RBI double, to raise his average to .417 this spring. Batting cleanup, Wieters blooped a single to right field in the first inning and lined an RBI double down the right-field line off Andrew Miller in the third. MAKING A CASE Nobody seems to be giving Lou Montanez much of a shot to make the Opening Day roster because of the Orioles' wealth of outfielders.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS A couple of weeks into spring training, Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff already appear to be in midseason form. The pair combined to go 5-for-6 with three doubles and three RBIs. Huff had all three of the RBIs with a first-inning single off Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco and a third-inning two-run double off Nolasco. Markakis, who had two doubles, scored on each of those hits. MATUSZ LOOKS GOOD Brian Matusz, the left-hander who was the fourth overall pick in last year's draft, pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut.

HENDRICKSON HIT HARD Mark Hendrickson was the Marlins' Opening Day starter last year, but the big left-hander was given a rude reception by his former teammates. He allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits over two innings, taking the loss in his Orioles debut. GETTING IN ON THE ACT Matt Wieters was given the start at designated hitter yesterday. He went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Chris Gomez and Blake Davis drove in the Orioles' only runs. ON DECK Jeremy Guthrie faces the Marlins at 1:05 p.m. today at Fort Lauderdale Stadium, his only start before leaving the club to join Team USA for the coming World Baseball Classic.

JUPITER, Fla. - Ex-Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons, trying to make it back to the majors with the Florida Marlins, was hoping to face his former teammates yesterday at Roger Dean Stadium, but that'll be a story for another day. "I kind of was looking forward to playing against old friends, but I don't think it's going to be weird," he said. "It's more fun seeing some old teammates, old friends and remembering the old times." Gibbons took a circuitous route back to major league training camp, playing for the independent Long Island Ducks and spending time in Double-A and Triple-A with the Milwaukee Brewers last year.