Bud Norris on today's start against Minnesota

SARASOTA, Fla. - So far for Orioles starter Bud Norris, he is increasing his innings total each start and working on his pitches. But he has not gotten solid results yet during spring training.

Norris gave up five hits and three runs over four innings today. He walked one, fanned one and allowed two homers against the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. A brisk wind to left-center may have aided one or both Twins home runs.

He has pitched 7 2/3 innings over three starts, allowing 13 hits and 10 runs, along with four home runs.

"It's not about numbers right now," Norris said. "It's tough. You want to put up a bunch of zeroes, but it's not necessarily the No. 1 priority, which is the health. You get 30 starts up there to make sure you get a lot of good numbers. Down here, you are getting your work in and that is the No. 1 focus. I felt great, the fastball is coming along great and really just want to keep going.

"Maybe the second (homer) stays in the ballpark. First one was a really bad pitch. Maybe second one stays in and that takes two runs off the board. The at-bat before it, too, I had the guy 0-2. Been working on the changeup and threw five changeups in an eight-pitch at-bat, and he hooked it down the line for a triple. Like I said, I'm working on pitches right now and that to me is what I'm trying to see."

Norris gave up a solo homer to Trevor Plouffe in the second and a two-run shot to Eduardo Nunez in the fourth. He threw 55 pitches, 39 for strikes.

"Been working on a lot of things mechanically," he said. "Felt a little shaky out of the windup, but I felt really strong out of the stretch. Threw some really good changeups today and that was kind of the intent going in. Great to have Matt (Wieters) back there and happy to get through four and so forth.

"When I'm getting nods back from Wiety behind the plate saying, 'That's a good pitch, that is what we are looking for,' that is the result I want to see. It is a situation where I might be throwing a slider on the inner half (during the season) to get that guy out, but knowing the results with the changeup are there, I can't get mad at myself. And strength-wise and endurance-wise, I'm getting there."

Norris gave up four runs in an inning his first outing and three over 2 2/3 frames in his second start before today.

"I've been going through work and getting out there every five days, going through camp the way I want to," he said. "Today was a good sign, get through four innings and get the pitch count up.

"Not far away. I only have what? Seven, eight, nine innings under my belt and that is what my ERA is. Have a long time to try and put that statistical category into reference and getting up and down has been great."