Hearing from Ryan Flaherty, Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson (O's, Braves end in 4-4 tie)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 4, Braves 4

Recap: Mike Wright allowed one hit and struck out two batters over two scoreless innings. He threw 20 of 27 pitches for strikes. Tyler Wilson allowed two hits and struck out a batter in a scoreless third. Christian Walker hit a two-run homer and lifted a sacrifice fly. Ryan Flaherty singled and homered to left field. Chris Lee stranded two runners in the fourth. Ashur Tolliver and Andrew Triggs each gave up a run and the Braves scored twice off Chris Jones in the eighth to tie the game 4-4. Oliver Drake then stranded a runner at first in the ninth to send the game to an extra inning. Pedro Beato walked the leadoff batter in the 10th, who was then caught stealing, and then retired the next two Braves hitters to end the game in a 4-4 tie.

Need to know: Wright's fastball topped out at 96 mph, mostly sat at 95 mph. Lee hit 99 mph, but the Champion Stadium gun may be a tad fast. The Braves used an infield shift against Hyun Soo Kim, who went 0-for-3. Paul Janish singled and stole second base in the fourth. Former Oriole Nick Markakis singled off Lee in the fourth. Former Oriole Ryan Lavarnway was called out after running into first baseman Trey Mancini on a popup. Lavarnway had an RBI single off Jones in the eighth.

On deck: Wednesday vs. Braves in Sarasota, 1:05 p.m.
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Before today's exhibition opener against the Braves, Nick Markakis reminded former teammate Ryan Flaherty that there's also a left field. Don't try to pull every pitch.

Flaherty chuckled and then got the last laugh, hitting an opposite-field single and home run in his first two at-bats.

"I think when I'm hitting the ball the other way is probably when I'm hitting my best," Flaherty said.

Flaherty got back at Markakis by telling the Braves' right fielder that he didn't drive two hours to watch him hit ground balls into left field. Markakis responded with a grounder into left off Chris Lee in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Flaherty has four hits this spring if you include two infield singles in intrasquad games.

Seeing the ball pretty well so far?

"Yeah, I guess," he said with a grin. "As good as you can be seeing it for the third or fourth day of hitting live.

"I think every guy's in a different position. For a lot of guys in camp, come in ready. Those other guys have time to get ready in camp. There's other guys who come to camp and you've got to be ready. Try to do as much as you can in the offseason and get ready."

Mike Wright allowed one hit and struck out two batters in two scoreless innings. The Braves didn't get the ball out of the infield in the second.

"It's really good," he said. "It's probably one of the best spring training games I think I've ever had. It felt really solid.

"It's always easier when you get ahead of guys. Throwing strikes and putting the pressure on them."

Wright's fastball topped out at 96 mph. Is velocity important at this stage of camp?

"It matters," he said. "You always want to be at your best and be at your peak. I felt really good, but I wasn't checking the radar gun or anything. But I heard I was throwing pretty good, so that's good to hear.

"I still have a little bit to work on. My location wasn't the best. My (velocity) was good, so sometimes that kind of trumps the hitters this early in the year. I know I've got to get a little better before the season starts."

Temperatures soared into the 80s today, which added to Wright's enjoyment.

"It was amazing," he said. "It's always exciting, the first game of baseball you start again, and when it's good weather, it puts everybody in a good mood. And when you're in a good mood, it's easier to have fun and easier to relax and play baseball."

Tyler Wilson relaxed after striking out Freddie Freeman to strand two runners in scoring position in the third. Freeman doubled off Wright in the first.

"That's great experience," Wilson said. "The biggest thing to take away from today for me is principle No. 1, pitching ahead. And as many bullpens as you throw, you're working on feeling things, you're working on how the ball is coming out of your hand and trying to make your pitches do what you want them to do, you're working on location. As soon as you get into the game, the mindset changes to, 'OK, work ahead. Go 0-1, pitch ahead of these guys and work down.' So that mindset was something I got into today that I probably haven't practiced quite as much in bullpens, which is OK.

"It's still early in the year, but it's something to be cognizant of moving forward and it just really emphasizes the importance of pitching ahead."

Wilson retired Jace Peterson on a soft liner to second and retired Ender Inciarte on a popup to third.

"It felt good," he said. "Like Mike said, the first game is always exciting. It's so good to get out there and toe it up and compete against another team, another uniform.

"There's nothing like getting experience. You can throw as many bullpens as you want, train as much as you want in the offseason, but that type of competition and that sense of competing and getting outs is the most important type of reps you can get. So it was good to get out there today."

Wilson was shortened up to one inning in case manager Buck Showalter gives him Saturday's split-squad start against the Twins in Fort Myers.

"I just kind of take the ball when they tell me to," he said. "I was happy to get out there today whatever the length would be and I'm already excited about the next outing."

The Orioles lead the Braves 4-2 in the eighth. Ashur Tolliver surrendered a run in the sixth and Andrew Triggs gave up a run with two outs in the seventh. Parker Bridwell tossed a scoreless fifth.

Showalter emptied his bench in the bottom of the sixth, putting a new player at every position.

Hyun Soo Kim flied out twice and grounded out in three at-bats.

Update: The Braves scored twice off left-hander Chris Jones in the eighth to tie the game. Former Oriole Ryan Lavarnway had an RBI single and Reid Brignac had a sacrifice fly.

Ozzie Martinez misplayed a ball that was scored a hit.