Final thoughts on 6-4 win

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Brandon Snyder collected his third hit in the ninth inning, a run-scoring single that completed the Orioles' 6-4 victory over the Houston Astros. Snyder came within a triple of the cycle while raising his spring average to .360. Ryan Adams also had three hits and is batting .500 with six RBIs. "We had some things we wanted him to get adjusted with before he went on the field, and I can see why he has the potential offensively," manager Buck Showalter said. "He has a lot of work to do defensively and baserunning. Grasp the game within the game. But he does some good things with the bat." Showalter rarely will heap praise on one particular pitcher or player. I asked him about Zach Britton and he grouped the left-hander with Chris Tillman. "Both of them were good. Threw the ball well. Impressed with both of them," he said. Asked if he's seeing a progression with Britton since he got here, Showalter replied, "No. He was pretty good when he got here. Not a whole lot of progression you can paint a picture of in spring training on March 12. They're holding their own and doing well." Britton focused more on his four-seam fastball today. "He threw a lot of two-seamers, too, but it's another pitch for him. It's a different look for him," Showalter said before shifting focus again to Tillman. "I thought Tilly threw as well as he did. Umpire really squeezed him, boy. They both threw the ball well. They're right where they need to be. We'll drive them over next time. Get them a hotel in Bradenton." Here are some quotes from Tillman: "I went out there and wanted to build off my last start. I went out there last start and felt great working on the new things. I wanted to go out there and continue it. This time, I saw more results as opposed to last time. Just wanted to get the feel of it. Then, I told them I wanted to mix in my curveball. Haven't thrown my curveball and changeup yet. Wanted to start establishing them." Tillman got two outs in the eighth, but a Brandon Waring error extended the inning and Tillman left before completing it. "I made a lot of good pitches," Tillman said. "I felt like they fouled off 150 pitches. They spoiled a lot of good pitches. That's part of it. I think that had a lot to do with it. They battled in tough counts and fouled pitches off. I made a lot of good pitches in the early innings." Asked about the friendly competition with Britton, Tillman replied, "I think it's good. We've talked about friendly competition for two years now. I think it's helped me and I think it's helped Britt, too, if it already hasn't. I think the friendship part is a good part of it. We're there for each other in battle, and at the same time, pushing each other to do the best that we can. I think that's a real important role in baseball, especially for the younger guys." Brian Roberts update: The Orioles' second baseman has an MRI on his back scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Monday.