ORIOLES QUICK WRAP
Score: Orioles 2, Twins 2
Recap: Wei-Yin Chen has turned in two straight impressive starts, holding the Twins to one run and three hits over four innings today. He threw 41 of his 61 pitches for strikes. Tommy Hunter replaced Chen and retired the Twins in order with a strikeout. T.J. McFarland tossed three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. Henry Urrutia hit his first spring home run to break a 1-1 tie. Urrutia, Steve Clevenger and Jonathan Schoop had two hits. Former Orioles farmhand Brandon Waring forged the 2-2 tie with a two-out solo homer off Troy Patton in the ninth.
Need to know: Urrutia went to the opposite field on his home run, depositing the ball on the grassy hill beyond the fence in left. He singled up the middle in the first inning. The two at-bats when he tried to pull the ball, he grounded weakly to second base.
On deck: Saturday, vs. Yankees at home, 1:05 p.m
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Tommy Hunter retired the Twins in order in the fifth inning, striking out one and preserving a 2-1 lead.
Wei-Yin Chen's only issue with his start was the two-out walk to Chris Parmelee in the second inning that eventually led to a run.
"I didn't have good command on that at-bat," Chen said through his interpreter, Louis Chao. "I was upset about that. But except for that, I was pretty pleased.
"My control wasn't off during the whole game. I was able to throw to the area I located. Overall, it was pretty good."
The Orioles stretched out Chen to 61 pitches in four innings, 41 for strikes.
"Before the game, the goal for me was around 60 pitches, so I was pretty happy to get through four innings within the pitch limit," he said.
"I think everything is on pace according to the plan, only maybe some of my off-speed offerings I need to work on for a little bit. But everything else is in place for getting ready for the opening series."
The opening series? Has manager Buck Showalter told Chen where he's slotted in the rotation?
"Not yet," he replied. "I don't know when I'm going to start, but I'm just going to get ready for the opening series and whenever Buck tells me which game to start, I'll just be ready for that game."
Chen made his U.S. spring training debut two years ago at Hammond Stadium. What has he learned over that period?
"I think it's the mental aspect I've learned in the past two years," he said. "When I first came here, I just wanted to make a real good pitch, get it over the plate and get hitters out. But now I've learned how to pitch, what to throw in a certain situation. I think that's the thing I've learned the most."
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