Scott Erickson

At Yankee Stadium, New York Day Time TV Starters Today 7:05 p.m. 13 Sidney Ponson (0-1, 9.00) vs. Roger Clemens (1-2, 7.56) Tomorrow 7:05 p.m. CSN Josh Towers (0-2, 5.84) vs. Orlando Hernandez (1-1, 1.20) Thursday 7:05 p.m. CSN Scott Erickson (1-1, 2.57) vs. David Wells (2-0, 3.05) Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) Yankees update With a 4-3 loss in Boston yesterday, the Yankees completed a 3-5 road trip that included a four-game losing streak. The Orioles made the four-time defending American League champions look human on Opening Day at Camden Yards with a 10-3 victory but scored just one run in losing the final two games of the series.

The number 2 Orioles in yesterday's starting lineup with an average above .190 after the game. He said it "I was mowing them down. I just basically choked." Scott Erickson, on three-run eighth inning

The aftermath brought brighter news to the New York Yankees than the season opener at Camden Yards. Precautionary X-rays at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Roger Clemens' pitching hand were negative. Jason Giambi, the most publicized acquisition for 2002, felt more comfortable after settling in. And nobody was about to panic after the Orioles' impressive 10-3 victory spoiled the start of the Yankees' 100th season. It was one game in a marathon, and not even Yankees owner George Steinbrenner expects this powerhouse to win them all. Most important was the status of Clemens' right hand after he tried to flag down a fourth-inning ground ball by David Segui that went for an infield single and launched a five-run Orioles uprising that featured Tony Batista's grand slam.

Site: Camden Yards When: 3:05 p.m. today TV/Radio: Ch. 13/ WBAL (1090 AM) Starters: Yankees' Roger Clemens (20-3, 3.51 in 2001) vs. Orioles' Scott Erickson (injured in 2001) Tickets: Sold out Gates open: Noon 0's batting practice: 12:25-1:25 p.m. Yankees batting practice: 1:25-2:05 p.m. Field preparations: 2:05-2:25 p.m. Ceremonies: 2:30 p.m. Player introductions: 2:45 p.m., by Chuck Thompson and Jim Hunter National anthem: 2:57 p.m., by American tenor Michael Amante First pitch: 3:01 p.m., by former Orioles manager Johnny Oates

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - When Scott Erickson arrived at spring training, the last thing he wanted was special attention. Sure, it had been 18 months since his major reconstructive elbow surgery. Sure, the Orioles were trying to find out if he could be their Opening Day starter. Sure, everyone was curious how he and that elbow felt on a daily basis. Erickson wouldn't have it. He asked that people treat him like any other pitcher on the roster, and he asked that "in no uncertain terms," said Orioles pitching coach Mark Wiley.

The game The New York Mets scored four runs off rookie pitcher Matt Riley in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 7-5 exhibition victory over the Orioles yesterday at Thomas J. White Stadium in Port St. Lucie. The arms Right-hander Scott Erickson looked strong and comfortable in his first competitive appearance since elbow reconstruction surgery in 2000. He pitched three innings and gave up two runs on five hits, but threw the ball well. His fastball topped out at 93 mph on the scouts' radar guns behind home plate.

Neither rain nor rail system can prevent the Orioles from experiencing a day off. It's scheduled for today, and as far as they're concerned, it's about time. How long has it been since the Orioles didn't wake up expecting to play? It didn't take manager Mike Hargrove more than a few seconds to respond correctly. "Thirty-two days," he said, "but who's counting?" Perhaps nobody except the Orioles, who haven't enjoyed a scheduled day off during the second half. They lost a July 30 open date to make up one of the games postponed because of the train accident.

Betsy S. Nelson, head of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers, worries that Baltimore might be bleeding philanthropists. She fears that the city's future heirs - people who in a different era would have lived here their whole lives, getting involved in the community and giving money to their favorite causes - are leaving town. Even worse, she is afraid that some might be uninterested in philanthropy altogether. Her worries are echoed in cities and towns across the country. In the next 50 years or so, about $10 trillion will pass from one generation to the next, by some estimates.

Last night's Orioles-Cleveland Indians game at Camden Yards was postponed after nearly a two-hour rain delay, forcing the teams to play a day-night doubleheader today at 1:15 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. The rainout wasted a turn for Mike Mussina, who trailed 4-3 when umpires halted play in the fourth inning. Because Mussina threw only 72 pitches, his next start has been moved up from Wednesday to Tuesday against Minnesota. "That's no big deal. We've talked about it and he's agreeable to that," manager Mike Hargrove said.