Game update and Chen talks about his final spring start (O's lose 6-5)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Braves 6, Orioles 5

Recap: Travis Snider came off the bench and hit a two-run homer off Chien-Ming Wang in the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie. Everth Cabrera followed with a walk, stole second, advanced on a throwing error and scored on Steve Pearce's second hit of the night. Making his final spring start, Wei-Yin Chen surrendered two runs and six hits in five innings, with no walks and four strikeouts. Chen retired eight in a row before allowing two straight singles in the fourth. Nolan Reimold had two hits, including an RBI single in the fifth that broke a scoreless tie. The Orioles tied the game 2-2 in the sixth on Manny Machado's sacrifice fly after singles by Pearce and Chris Davis. Wesley Wright allowed a hit, walked a batter and struck out two in a scoreless inning. Ryan Webb allowed two runs in the seventh and was replaced by T.J. McFarland, who escaped the jam and got a big double play ball in the eighth. But the Braves scored twice to rally for a walk-off win against McFarland in the ninth. The lefty allowed a single and a double to start the inning before sending the tying run home on a wild pitch the next at-bat. Joe Benson's tiebreaking RBI single with no outs ended the game.

Need to know: Former Oriole Nick Markakis worked Chen for 11 pitches in his first at-bat before flying out. He singled on the second pitch in the fourth inning and also singled off Wright in the sixth. Chen threw only eight pitches in the second inning and 10 in the third. Cabrera is 3-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Reimold's RBI single in the fifth made him 16-for-47 (.340) with two home runs, nine RBIs and eight walks this spring. Machado singled in his first two at-bats. Caleb Joseph's single in the fifth made him 10-for-28 (.357) with three doubles, five RBIs and one baby this spring.

On deck: Friday vs. Braves in Sarasota, 6:05 p.m.
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Ryan Webb allowed two runs in the seventh inning tonight and was replaced by left-hander T.J. McFarland with two outs and runners on the corners.

The Braves collected three hits off Webb, who also walked a batter and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning. His spring ERA rose to 6.75, where it stayed after McFarland retired A.J. Pierzynski.

The Orioles lead 5-4 going to the bottom of the eighth.

Wei-Yin Chen threw 49 of his 68 pitches for strikes. He was 49/38 going into the fifth inning.

"I think I finally got the feeling of my command back," Chen said through his interpreter, "and physically I feel great."

Chen seems satisfied with his spring. He allowed five earned runs (six total) in 18 1/3 innings and walked only one batter.

"Last spring, my off-speed pitches were pretty good at first, but it wasn't all that consistent," he said. "This year, I was trying to fill it out, and over this spring, and I felt better and better in mastering it. I talked to my teammates and coaches about how to throw it and how to grip it. And I think over this spring it's been getting better and better."

Asked whether he's ready for his April 7 start against the Rays, Chen replied, "Yes, mentally and physically I'm ready for the season. I just want to get back out there and help the team win as soon as possible."

And not stress over his pending free agency.

"I just still keep doing what I've been doing in the past," he said. "The contract stuff, I just leave it to my agency so I wouldn't think about it too much. I just do what I have to do on the field."

Chen is one of 11 Orioles who can become free agents following the season.

"I'm aware we have a lot of teammates who are going to be free agents after this season, but still it doesn't really matter," he said. "We concentrate on trying to become champions."

Chen appeared in the same game as Taiwanese pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, who served up Travis Snider's tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh.

"I don't think we have faced each other in the past," Chen said. "There aren't many Taiwanese pitchers or players in the major leagues, so it's pretty cool and I'm very happy to face another Taiwanese player in the major leagues.

"Hopefully, we'll have more and more Taiwanese players in the major leagues, and we'll have more chances to play each other."

Chen faced former teammate Nick Markakis twice, retiring him on a fly ball to end an 11-pitch battle and allowing a single up the middle.

"It was kind of fun to face him because it was first time I faced him," Chen said. "I didn't like it when he kept fouling off pitches. It was a lesson for me, so when we face each other in the regular season, I'll know better how to deal with him."