Game update and Chris Tillman talks about his outing (O's, Rays tie 8-8)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 8, Rays 8

Recap: Pedro Alvarez's first home run as an Oriole was a grand slam to left-center field in the second inning. He added a game-tying RBI double in the sixth. Mark Trumbo hit his second home run in two games and third this spring, a two-run shot in the third inning. Logan Morrison and Evan Longoria hit back-to-back home runs off Chris Tillman in the third. Tillman allowed three runs and five hits in four innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. Steven Souza Jr. hit a grand slam off T.J. McFarland in the fifth to tie the game. McFarland allowed the go-ahead run in the sixth. Caleb Joseph singled twice and drove in a run in the first three innings. Zach Britton struck out the side in the eighth, his fastball at 95-96 mph. Brian Matusz retired the side in the ninth in his first game since March 2.

Need to know: Alvarez was 2-for-18 before the slam. Tillman threw 66 pitches, 42 for strikes. Hyun Soo Kim's single into center field in the second inning and single to right-center in the third made him 8-for-16 since an 0-for-23 start. Jonathan Schoop was drilled in the back by a Tyler Sturdevant pitch in the sixth. Pedro Borbon pinch-ran for Schoop, stole second base and scored on Alvaerez's double. McFarland has allowed runs in three of his four spring outings. Today's attendance: 8,405, the seventh sellout of the spring. The Orioles are now 5-12-4.

On deck: Tuesday, vs. Twins in Fort Myers, 1:05 p.m.
_____________________________________

SARASOTA, Fla. - It's a grand slam kind of day at Ed Smith Stadium.

Tampa Bay right fielder Steven Souza Jr. cleared the bases in the fifth inning off Orioles left-hander T.J. McFarland to tie the score at 7-7. Kean Wong looped an RBI single into left field off McFarland with two outs in the sixth to give the Rays an 8-7 lead.

Pedro Alvarez, who hit a grand slam in the second inning, produced an RBI double with two outs in the sixth to tie the score 8-8. Alfredo Marte pinch-ran for him.

McFarland, making his second appearance since coming down with a sore elbow, allowed back-to-back singles in the fifth after Manny Machado's error on Logan Forsythe's grounder. Corey Dickerson struck out, but Souza collected his first spring home run.

McFarland surrendered three more hits in the sixth and the Orioles fell behind for the first time today.

Chris Tillman gave up back-to-back home runs to Logan Morrison and Evan Longoria in the third. He stranded two runners in the fourth and was done after 66 pitches.

"It was good, it was good," he said. "I made a lot of good pitches last start and made a lot of good pitches this start. It's the mistakes I've got to cut down on. I made a couple today, but I'm looking at the positives. I made a lot of good pitches with all my pitches, and it's exciting."

Tillman wasn't using the wind as an excuse for the home runs.

"No, those were mistakes and they deserved to get hit," he said. "It is what it is. Our guys hit some, too. It goes both ways."

Tillman still felt strong after his longest outing of the spring. He lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his Grapefruit League debut against the Rays.

"I felt good," he said. "I wasn't tired at all. They actually gave me the option of coming down to the bullpen and throwing a couple more, but I felt good about where I was at, and I think I accomplished what I need to, so I decided not to do that."

Tillman mostly has been pleased with his breaking ball in his two starts.

"I made some good pitches with it and some bad," he said. "I think that's the nature of the game. You live and die by it. It was a good pitch for me throughout today other than a couple. It's encouraging."

So is the power supplied by Alvarez and Mark Trumbo, who hit a two-run shot.

"Awesome, awesome," Tillman said. "Those guys made a lot of good swings today.

"I was talking with Brian (Roberts) and Jim (Hunter) not too long ago, talking about the ups and downs. I think that's the most important thing in spring, getting to watch the guys hit the ball out of the yard. It's fun watching the guys, fun watching not only in the game, but doing their work. They come from different organizations and you come to learn that it's a lot of the same stuff, a lot of hard work."