Major League Baseball

Trembley seeks to cure O's offense with new lineup

Published Apr. 13, 2010 8:27 p.m. ET

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Matt Wieters batted cleanup for the first time Tuesday night, part of a new-look lineup devised by Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley to generate offense from a team averaging fewer than three runs a game.

The shuffle came after the Orioles scored only 20 runs in their first seven games, losing six. Baltimore had a team batting average of .232, led by Wieters at .400.

``He's swinging the bat good for us,'' Trembley said. ``He gives us some flexibility in the middle. He's a switch hitter.''

Now in his first full season after playing in 96 games last year, Wieters accepted his new position in the batting order without fanfare.

``It's just a new spot, a new spot where you're trying to get hits, where you're trying to put some runs up on the board,'' he said. ``We haven't been doing that lately, so hopefully our new lineup will get some things going.''

Miguel Tejada was moved from cleanup to second and Adam Jones was dropped from second to fifth. Tejada started the day with a .207 batting average and Jones was at .233. Trembley also put Ty Wigginton in the eighth spot and started him at second base.

Trembley felt he had to do something to shake up an offense that had produced only three runs over the previous three games.

``Let's do what we can to get the offense started and score some runs,'' he said. ``Changing it up is a good idea.

``We'll see how it works out. If it works out, it looks great. If it doesn't, you can all ask me why I did it after,'' he said. ``Let's see how it works first. Then, I'll look like a genius. If it doesn't, you can say I'm Elmer Fudd or something.''

In another change, the Orioles wore their orange batting practice jerseys in a game for the first time since the 2008 season.

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