Wieters, Arrieta impress in debuts

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Wieters, Arrieta impress in debuts
04/04/2008 11:36 PM ET
By Steve Conley

The Frederick Keys are in good hands as they try to defend their Carolina League championship.
Matt Wieters homered twice in his Minor League debut and Jake Arrieta struck out nine over four innings Friday as the Keys cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats.
Wieters, selected fifth overall by the Orioles in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, walked in his first official plate appearance before ripping a two-run homer in the third inning to give the Keys a 5-1 lead.
"[Lynchburg starter Anthony Watson] threw me a fastball up in the zone and I was able to get good wood on it," said Wieters, who played 31 games in Hawaii Winter Baseball at the end of last season.
"It was exciting to get the season started. I'm really looking forward to the grind of playing 140 games or so. I just hope to maintain the same level of play all year."
Wieters connected again leading off the fifth against reliever Brian Holliday.
"I was looking for a pitch inside since they threw me away the first time, and I got what I was looking for," the former Georgia Tech star said.
Christopher Vinyard went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Chris Amador had two hits and scored twice for Frederick, which has won two of the last three Mills Cup titles.
Arrieta, Baltimore's fifth-round pick in 2007, fanned the first two batters he faced and allowed a run on two hits in the second before striking out the side. He retired the final six batters he faced, adding four more strikeouts.
The 22-year-old right-hander was one of only five 2007 draft picks to participate in the Arizona Fall League. He did not allow a run in 16 innings, going 1-0 with 16 strikeouts for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
Bradley Bergesen (1-0) tossed a scoreless fifth for the win and J.P. Martinez followed with two shutout innings for the Keys.
Jim Negrych went 2-for-4 with an RBI double for the Hillcats.
Lynchburg starter Anthony Watson (0-1) surrendered five runs -- two earned -- on eight hits and a walk while striking out four over 3 2/3 innings.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.