Short start tonight for Chris Lee (O's win 7-4)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 7, Rays 4

Recap: Chance Sisco hit an opposite-field three-run homer with two outs in the eighth to break a 4-4 tie ... Chris Lee lasted only two innings in his second start and allowed two runs and five hits. He threw 55 pitches, 32 for strikes ... Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer to center field in the fourth to give the Orioles a 3-2 lead ... Brad Brach tossed another scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out one ... Zach Britton retired the side in order in the sixth without the ball leaving the infield ... Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer off Jefri Hernandez in the fifth.

Need to know: Lee's fastball topped out at 95 mph multiple times in the first inning ... Mark Trumbo was robbed of a much-needed hit on a diving catch by left fielder Corey Dickerson in the second ... Pedro Álvarez had a double and single in his first two at-bats ... Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavárez stolen his seventh base ... Britton destroyed Daniel Robertson's bat with a pitch to end the sixth, the ball rolling to first baseman Chris Davis. Britton picked up one of the pieces near the mound ... Craig Gentry and Jeff Kemp executed a double steal in the seventh.

On deck: Friday, at Twins in Fort Myers, 7:05 p.m.
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SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Lee had four full counts and two mound visits from pitching coach Roger McDowell in the first two innings of tonight's start against the Rays.

This was a pretty good indication that he wasn't particularly sharp. And he wasn't going to stick around for long.

Lee's velocity was fine, with his fastball topping out at 95 mph on multiple occasions, but he threw 27 pitches in the first inning and 28 in the second while the Rays took a 2-0 lead.

Left-hander Garrett Cleavinger, on loan from minor league camp, entered the game in the top of the third inning. Lee allowed two runs and five hits, walked two batters and struck out one. He threw 55 pitches, 32 for strikes.

In four previous outings, Lee allowed a combined two runs over 11 innings. He matched his run total tonight in the first.

Lee walked Kevin Kiermaier with one out, Evan Longoria doubled and Brad Miller lined an RBI single into center field. Colby Rasmus followed with a run-scoring single into left field, but the Orioles turned a nice 4-6-3 double play on Logan Morrison's ground ball.

Tim Beckham led off the second inning with a single and Daniel Robertson reached on an infield hit with one out after Chris Johnson made a diving stop. Beckham took third on Johnson's wild throw to first base - Johnson's third error this spring.

The Rays loaded the bases with two outs on another Kiermaier walk, but Longoria grounded to third.

Lee struck out Dickerson before walking Kiermaier, his only punchout of the night. He had nine strikeouts before tonight.

Dickerson and Kiermaier worked the count full in the first inning, and Beckham and Kiermaier did the same in the second. However, Lee threw first-pitch strikes to the first three batters he faced in the first inning and the first four batters in the second.

He got ahead, but lacked the putaway pitch.

It seems more likely now that Lee will open the season at Triple-A Norfolk, but manager Buck Showalter could choose to take a longer look at him in the rotation while deciding on a fifth starter.

The Orioles got a run back in the bottom of the second on Pedro Álvarez's one-out double, the ball clearing Beckham's head in right field, and Hyun Soo Kim's single. Dickerson made a diving catch to rob Mark Trumbo leading off the inning, but he couldn't glove Kim's sinking liner.

Cleavinger retired the Rays in order in the third, striking out Rasmus. Brad Brach has replaced him.

Welington Castillo won't catch Brach or Zach Britton tonight.

Update: Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer to center field in the fourth inning after Pedro Alvarez singled, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Johnson has two homers and nine RBIs this spring.