Wrapping up the Orioles' 5-4 win over the Yankees

TAMPA - Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy pitched his longest spring outing and once again used his cutter/slider. Lefty Jayson Aquino continued his solid spring. Pedro Álvarez made a catch of a routine fly ball in his Grapefruit League outfield debut and the Orioles beat the Yankees 5-4 today in front of a sellout crowd of 10,393.

The game was tied at 4-4 in the top of the ninth when Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavárez hit a homer off Ernesto Frieri to break the tie as the Orioles improved to 12-8-2.

Aquino, the 24-year-old lefty from the Dominican, is still very much in the hunt among the candidates to replace Chris Tillman at the beginning of the year in the starting rotation.

He pitched a scoreless fifth and sixth innings today, allowing one hit. In 11 spring innings, he has allowed one run on seven hits with one walk, 10 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.82.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked what he has liked about Aquino's spring.

"His personality on the mound, it's something we didn't see last year," he said. "Basically, he came over in a waiver claim. He came to a new team. Didn't go through spring training with us. He was kind of apprehensive, didn't look to be real comfortable in the times I saw him. But this spring the thing that has jumped out is he is confident. There is some personality to his pitching.

"He's got good tempo, he's got command, he's feeling comfortable with his third pitch now. And he's got command of two. I know the players like playing behind him. He's in the mix."

Bundy allowed four hits and three runs with three walks and a strikeout over a four-inning, 62-pitch outing. His spring ERA is now 7.36. He threw eight or nine cutter/sliders, he said and added that he expects to use that pitch during the regular season.

"Good. First inning was good," Showalter said. "Then the next couple of innings the strike zone moved around all over the place. But good stuff. Fine, right where he is supposed to be. Pitch count, went 60-something."

With the end of spring training games now less than two weeks away, Showalter wants to continue to look at some starting pitchers in major league spring games. Others that he has a track record with could wind up getting their innings in minor league games.

"We're going to take some of those guys, the Bundys, the (Kevin) Gausmans, (Ubaldo) Jiménez, and let them have their outings down below and continue to look at guys that we're thinking about as the fifth starter in the better look because they're going to start to see better hitters in the lineup for longer stretches, especially with the WBC done," Showalter said.

As Álvarez continues to try and learn to play the outfield, he made the start in right field and played six innings. He had one fly ball hit to him that he caught. It was described as routine by those that saw it. Baltimore reporters did not. We were interviewing Bundy when it happened.

"I don't think anything is routine yet. No, he said, 'Now I got that one out of the way.' He has to trust his instincts. He's been catching fly balls since he was four or five years old. Was a good day for him," Showalter said of Álvarez, who went 2-for-3 with a solo homer off lefty Tommy Layne.

Showalter will try to continue to get Álvarez starts in the outfield and said, with the chance to play guys also in minor league games, that they have plenty of reps to still go around.

He like what he sees from Álvarez right now.

"He's playing with house money now," Showalter said. "Take a look at where ... he was sitting at home and the people knocking on the door weren't something he thought was a good fit. He's comfortable (here). He knows people. Has a memory of what he did for us last year. We're trying to create an opportunity for his career and for the Orioles. He's smiling real easy.

"A lot of people don't, I wouldn't say understand, but get to know him. I think a lot of people miss what a quality human being he is. This is a good guy and competitive. We were lucky to add him late."

Outfielder Craig Gentry had another solid game, going 1-for-2 with a fourth-inning double off CC Sabathia. He is doing nothing to hurt his chances to make the opening day roster.

"I'm telling you, about two or three years ago, he was, I thought, the best fourth outfielder in baseball - a plus defender at three positions, plus thrower, plus runner, did well against left-handed pitching and could play at times against right-handed pitching if you needed. He brought a lot of energy, a smart player," Showalter said.

The Orioles hit three homers today among their six hits. In addition to Álvarez and Tavárez, Chris Johnson hit his first spring homer, a two-run shot off Sabathia in the fourth. The Orioles play the Tigers Sunday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. Gausman gets the start in the 1:05 p.m. game that will be televised live on MASN.