Gallardo: "I think the guys in this clubhouse, they've made it easy for me" (O's lose 8-4)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Phillies 8, Orioles 4

Recap: Yovani Gallardo allowed three runs and four hits in his first inning with the Orioles before retiring the Phillies in order in the second. Manny Machado hit a long two-run homer in the third after Xavier Avery singled. Zach Britton retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the third. Vance Worley allowed three runs and five hits in two innings. Darin Ruf homered off Gallardo and Worley. Parker Bridwell escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth, but he allowed a run in the seventh. Xavier Avery hit a two-run homer in the eighth after Paul Janish singled. Jason Garcia allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.

Need to know: The Orioles are 0-9-1. Gallardo threw 35 pitches, 19 for strikes. The stadium radar gun had him topping out at 89 mph. Caleb Joseph threw out three runners attempting to steal in the first five innings. Mark Trumbo struck out in all three at-bats. Machado's home run ball landed in the back of the bleachers, in front of Frenchy's tiki bar. Jonathan Schoop had two hits. Garcia inherited Bridwell's bases-loaded, two-out jam in the seventh and induced a ground ball from J.P. Arencibia. Former Orioles outfielder David Lough is wearing No. 3 for the Phillies. He must have requested his body fat percentage.

On deck: Thursday, vs. Yankees in Sarasota, 1:05 p.m. on MASN
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CLEARWATER, Fla. - Vance Worley followed his two scoreless innings against the Blue Jays by allowing three runs and five hits today in two innings versus the Phillies.

Darin Ruf has homered twice, roughing up Worley and starter Yovani Gallardo, and the Orioles are behind 6-2 in the seventh.

Caleb Joseph has thrown out all three runners attempting to steal against him, including Tayler Featherston after an RBI single off Worley in the fifth.

Note to Phillies: Stop running on Caleb Joseph.

Hyun Soo Kim is 0-for-3 to make him hitless in 21 spring at-bats. However, he flied to the left field track, was robbed by Ruf - who made a lunging stop at first base - and flied to right-center field. He's hit the ball hard in all three trips to the plate.

Gallardo was all smiles outside the clubhouse after retiring the side in order in the second inning of his Orioles debut. He allowed three runs and four hits in the first, including doubles by Peter Bourjos and Odubel Herrera and Ruf's home run.

"Obviously, if the results are there it's a good thing, but the most important thing is building up to that 100-pitch count," he said. "The first inning, I thought there were some pretty good pitches down in the zone, but they were able to put good swings on it. The first pitch of the game, there's not much you can do about that. Obviously, if it's a little bit down in the zone, it's a different story, but first time out there, first pitch of the game, there's not much I can do.

"The second double, I got to two strikes right away and I just missed. I missed with the pitch we had planned. I tried to throw it up and in and it ended up going right to his barrel. But the positive part was I was able to get two innings and get those two ground balls in that second inning, which is a good sign. They hit some balls down in the zone and (were) hitting those ground balls.

"I felt good. You always want to get that first one out of the way. The first inning, once that hitter steps up, you do a little bit too much. But I was able to settle in in that second inning, get those ground balls, get that weak contact."

Gallardo signed late and had to wait until the Orioles cleared him for bullpen sessions and his first start. It's still been fun for him.

"It definitely has," he said. "I think the guys in this clubhouse, they've made it easy for me. It's a great group of guys. Since Day 1, having really most of the guys go out there for the press conference, it just shows the kind of chemistry that we have here, how close they are in the clubhouse. They work hard. They have fun at the same time doing it, but whenever it's time to take care of business, you can see they leave everything out on the field and prepare."

Despite the three-run first, Gallardo said his start was worth the wait.

"I think it was a little bit of a different offseason for me this year," he said. "I think I can't wait to get the first one out of the way. You've been waiting so long, especially for myself as a free agent, obviously ended up signing late. To go out there for my first start, it was fun. It was fun and got good work in, was able to throw the two innings I was scheduled for and that's the most important thing."

Manager Buck Showalter, pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti have been mapping out Gallardo's next four or five outings.

"There was one there that we might do in minor league camp. We're not sure yet. They've left a lot of wiggle room," Showalter said.

"You like to get him to five or six innings, but the opposition has to cooperate down here and he can always make that up somewhere, especially if you need to put him in a controlled environment, but he's not behind. Obviously, starting a little later, his margin for error with setbacks and stuff, you don't want to see."

Showalter loves Gallardo's personality and his influence in the clubhouse and on the pitching staff.

"This is a veteran," Showalter said. "He knows where the finish line is. He knows where he has to be. We trust him.

"He's a low-pulse guy. He's not a guy who is going to be hyperventilating about things. He knows what this is about. It's fun to be around because it shows a lot of confidence. Everybody here is going to have a bad outing this year, and I don't think he's a guy who is going to quiver a lot when the trigger needs to be fired. He's a very calm guy in a good way. He's intense, but (calm).

"He's been impressive. He's been engaged. He might not come across that way with body language from a distance, but he listened and he's been engaged in what's going on. He wants to know, how are we doing this? What's expected? He's a pleaser, too. He likes where he is and he knows we stepped out on him.

"(You notice) the guys who don't try to show you how smart they are or how veteran they are. The good thing for me is that I'm confident he's saying the right things. He's not a pompous, 'I got all the answers and I'm gracing you with my presence' guy."

Update: Xavier Avery hit a two-run homer after Paul Janish singled to reduce the Phillies' lead to 7-4 in the eighth.

Parker Bridwell allowed a run in the seventh.