Chen breaks out new changeup (O's win 3-1)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 3, Yankees 1

Recap: The Orioles had scored one run in 22 innings before taking a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. Jonathan Schoop doubled to score Ryan Lavarnway and Manny Machado followed with his third hit of the day, an RBI single. Machado also stole a base today. Jonathan Schoop doubled twice and Rey Navarro hit a solo home run. Wei-Yin Chen became the first Oriole to work three innings this spring and blanked the Yankees on one hit. Chen threw 12 of his 16 pitches for strikes in the first inning, allowing a hit and striking out one. He issued a one-out walk in the second, but avoided further trouble, and retired the Yankees in order in the third. Kevin Gausman threw two scoreless innings. Jason Garcia escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. Tommy Hunter had a routine seventh and Steve Johnson struck out two while retiring the side in the eighth. Logan Verrett surrendered a homer in the ninth.

Need to know: Chen has allowed two hits over five scoreless innings this spring. He threw 41 pitches today, 27 for strikes. Ramon Martinez taught Chen a new grip on his changeup, going from a circle change to more of a palm ball. Garcia's velocity appeared to be down today. Machado is atop the order to get extra at-bats and to exit the game earlier. Same with putting J.J. Hardy in the second slot. Machado charged a slow roller up the line by Didi Gregorius and threw him out, a play we've seen him make many times. Matt Wieters is 0-for-17 this spring. Attendance: 7,987 at Ed Smith Stadium, the fourth sellout of the spring.

On deck: Wednesday vs. Blue Jays in Sarasota, 1:05 p.m.
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SARASOTA, Fla. - Ramon Martinez, hired by the Orioles this spring as special assignment pitching instructor, has taught left-hander Wei-Yin Chen a new grip on his changeup.

Martinez already is making an impact in the organization.

Pitching coach Dave Wallace wanted more separation in velocity between Chen's changeup and fastball. Rather than throw a circle-change, Chen unveiled a pitch that more closely resembled a palm ball while tossing three scoreless innings against the Yankees.

"Hopefully, that will get my velocity more consistent. I'm going to try to see how it works," Chen said through his interpreter.

"That's something that Ramon Martinez told me. I'm still trying it out. I don't know if it will work for me, but we'll see.

"So far, it's not bad. My velocity when I'm throwing my circle change, my body tends to fly open, but this year with this grip it doesn't. So far, it's pretty good."

Fastball command may not be Chen's primary focus this spring, making him different than most pitchers.

"Actually, the changeup is something I've tried to get a feeling for every spring training, but this year, of course, I want to try it out more," he said. "This year, I hopefully can get the velocity more consistent the way I want it to be."

Chen issued his only walk in the second inning and retired the side in order in the third.

"I lost my command a little bit in the second inning," he said, "but the first and third inning was pretty good."

Kevin Gausman replaced Chen and tossed two scoreless innings, getting a big double play after back-to-back singles in the fourth and stranding a runner in the fifth after a two-out walk.

"It felt a bit different than starting, but I got to get enough throwing in over here," Gausman said. "Luckily, we're right next to our complex, so that's pretty nice. I got all my throwing in and I felt pretty good. Had a little bit of trouble hitting the outside corner versus righties, but overall I felt pretty good. I got a lot of ground balls."

Gausman was limited to one inning in his debut and two today. He can expect to work three innings in his next outing.

"Yeah, I think," he said. "They don't really tell me anything. I'm not in those meetings with the coaches, unfortunately, but yeah, that's the way I think it's going to go. I think it's just going to be an inning every time that we're going up. Hopefully, by the end they'll let me get five or six."

The Orioles had scored one run in their last 22 innings before pushing across two in the fifth. Ryan Lavarnway led off with a single, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on the first of two Jonathan Schoop doubles. Schoop raced home on Manny Machado's third hit of the day.

Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. His velocity appeared to be down.

Tommy Hunter retired the Yankees in order in the seventh. Steve Johnson is warming in the bullpen.