Early exit for Mike Wright tonight (O's, Twins tie at 5-5)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Twins 5, Orioles 5

Recap: Mike Wright's fifth outing of the spring (counting a B game) was his worst. He had a 4.70 ERA in Grapefruit League games coming into this outing and exits with an ERA of 8.38. He allowed six hits and five runs in the second inning. He gave up four straight two-out run-scoring hits. ... Vidal Nuño, making his third appearance since returning from the World Baseball Classic, threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as did right-hander Logan Verrett. ... Trey Mancini's three-run homer in the seventh tied the game at 5-5. Mancini now has three homers and 11 RBIs.

Need to know: Ryan Flaherty returned to the lineup for the first time since March 13. He had a bloop double and scored in the first. ... Chris Johnson hit a solo homer, his third of the spring, in the top of the sixth. ... Minnesota batters went 7-for-13 against Wright but then just 1-for-16 over the next five innings. ... The Orioles are 1-0-2 against the Twins and 13-11-3 overall on the spring.

On deck: Saturday, vs. Twins at Sarasota, 6:05 p.m.
___________________________________________

FORT MYERS, Fla. - This was not what right-hander Mike Wright had in mind when he took the mound tonight at CenturyLink Field against the Minnesota Twins.

After a scoreless last of the first where he allowed a single and walk and there was a two-base throwing error by catcher Caleb Joseph, Wright allowed six hits and five runs in the last of the second as the Orioles fell behind the Twins 5-1.

The Orioles scored once in the top of the first. Ryan Flaherty, returning to the lineup for the first time since March 13, led off with a bloop double to left against right-hander Ervin Santana. He later scored when third baseman Miguel Sano airmailed a throw over the first baseman's head.

But then Wright had an awful second inning. Jason Castro doubled to center and advanced to third on Jorge Polanco's single. Kennys Vargas plated a run with a groundout and Eddie Rosario lined out.

Just an out away from minimizing the damage, Wright then allowed four consecutive run-scoring hits for a 5-1 Twins lead. The hits in the inning were all mostly well-struck as Brian Dozier, Max Kepler, Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer plated Minnesota runs.

Wright was pitching for fifth time in Florida, counting one B game outing. In three Grapefruit League games before tonight, he went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs (four earned).

Tonight, over the two innings, Wright allowed seven hits and five runs with one walk and one strikeout. The Twins went 7-for-13 against him and his spring ERA is now 8.38.

Left-hander Brian Moran, one of five pitchers the Orioles added today from minor league camp, came on to pitch in the last of the third. He retired the order in side on a strikeout, groundout and flyout.

Wright's post-start quotes:

"I mean, I felt pretty good. Stuff felt good in the 'pen and I felt good when I was out there. Just kept giving up hits. I didn't feel like my sinker was as good as it has been the past three or four games.

"I still felt like I was doing a decent job locating. Obviously, that is not going to be the case when I go back and look back at film, but it felt good.

"I felt strong and I still feel like my mental state coming in was the exact same. I was attacking the zone. I wasn't walking people. I threw all three pitches for strikes. It is just a matter of getting the ball down and getting more ground balls. They did a good job putting the ball in play and battling. Still feel positive and in a good place."

Wright was asked how tough it is to feel good but have a poor outing this late in camp.

"I mean, feeling good when my stuff is there isn't going to get me on the team," he said. "So, yeah, it stings a little bit being this late in camp. But it still is camp. You know, it is not affecting our record or changing anything about the regular season, so that is still a positive."

A reporter asked Wright if he was frustrated not being able to clear four innings in a game yet (although he did pitch four in a B game).

"Yeah, that's frustrating," he said.

Update: The Orioles tied the game at 5-5 when Trey Mancini hit another homer, a three-run shot in the top of the seventh. Mancini has three homers and 11 RBIs this spring. The Orioles had pulled within 5-2 on Chris Johnson's solo homer in the sixth. It was his third this spring and his 10th RBI.

Brian Moran pitched a scoreless third inning and Vidal Nuño pitched two scoreless with two strikeouts. Logan Verrett blanked the Twins in the bottom of the sixth.