Phillies

• PHILLIES: Closer Brad Lidge likely will start the season on the disabled list for the third time in four years because of pain behind his right shoulder. Lidge left his outing Thursday because of the issue and is expected to undergo an MRI when the team returns to Philadelphia next week.   • YANKEES: RHP Sergio Mitre was traded to the Brewers for OF Chris Dickerson , and RHP Kevin Millwood was signed to a minor league contract.

Derrek Lee's spring debut as an Oriole was rather uneventful, which was perfectly fine with him. The veteran first baseman, who had been out with a sore wrist this spring, walked, struck out and scored a run in two official plate appearances in the Orioles' 7-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies before an Ed Smith Stadium-record crowd of 8,549. He also fielded two ground balls cleanly at first base. "It feels great. I was happy. [The wrist] wasn't an issue," Lee said. "I didn't feel it swinging.

The Orioles' likely Opening Day starter and closer had trouble combating the wind and a left-handed-heavy Philadelphia Phillies lineup in a 13-6 loss before an announced 8,129 at Ed Smith Stadium. Starter Jeremy Guthrie was touched for four runs and six hits in four innings, though that included a wind-aided two-run homer by Raul Ibanez in the first inning. "You always try to keep the ball down, so whether the wind's blowing out or not, you try to get the ball to stay down and get ground balls," said Guthrie, who was making his third spring start.

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with some reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine. Running it back: Maryland AD Kevin Anderson has faith in men's basketball coach Gary Williams, who will return next season . ... The Orioles lost to the Phillies, 4-3, on Tuesday, but Justin Duchscherer threw two scoreless innings . ... Brian Roberts' back flared up Tuesday , and Derrek Lee went to see a wrist specialist.

Justin Duchscherer accomplished his one goal Tuesday, walking off the mound without pain in his left hip. Duchscherer threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and walking one in his first Grapefruit League start and first game action since April 29. The Orioles lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3, before an announced 9,039 at Bright House Field. They are 4-4-2 on the exhibition season. They took a one-run lead into the ninth, but Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario failed to get an out in the inning, allowing two walks, a bunt single and a game-winning two-run single to Carlos Rivero.

Cliff Lee did his best to sound humble in a recent interview. He stressed the greatness of the Phillies team he joined — creating a potential super rotation the way LeBron James and Chris Bosh created an NBA super team — remains strictly hypothetical. He talked about how things look "on paper" but tried to sound humble in explaining that nothing was given any baseball team in March. Still, he said that along with Roy Halladay , Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels he would give the Phillies so much pitching that they could "expect" — that was the word he used — to win the National League East, roll through the playoffs and win the World Series.

The wind was blowing in at Bright House Field on Wednesday afternoon, which made it a little easier for a couple of the Orioles' young starters to match up against the big-swinging Philadelphia Phillies. Chris Tillman and Zach Britton both struggled with their emotions in their 2011 exhibition debuts, but they still held things together in the early innings and the Orioles held off a late Phillies rally to remain undefeated with a 6-5 victory. "I was a little jumpy ... too excited," Tillman said.

Phillies third base coach Juan Samuel didn't get to finish the 2010 season as interim Orioles manager, and negotiations to return him to the O's coaching staff broke down over the winter, but he had nothing but good things to say about the organization Wednesday morning at Bright House Field. "I thought I was heading back [to Baltimore], but it didn't happen to work out," he said. "We couldn't get on the same page. " Still, Samuel said that he was very happy — and grateful to Andy MacPhail — for the opportunity to get some managerial experience, and he bears no ill will torward the O's. He is one of two former Orioles managers on the Phillies coaching staff, along with Sam Perlozzo . Samuel was replaced by Buck Showalter after managing the Orioles to a 17-34 record as the interim replacement for Dave Trembley , but he said he wasn't surprised that the club turned a corner during the final two months of the season.

June 30, 1997: Mike Mussina beat the Phillies, 8-1, for the 100th win of his Orioles career.

You don't have to be conspicuously great to have a terrific starting rotation. When the Phillies added Cliff Lee to Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, they became the official champions of the 2010-11 offseason. They zipped past the World Series champion Giants in claiming the best combination of four starters in the majors — a notable feat given our last look at the Giants. Remember them? They rolled to an 11-4 record in the playoffs thanks to a 2.18 ERA from Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner and Jonathan Sanchez.