Game update and Mike Wright's comments on his start (O's win 4-1)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

March 17, 2016, 5:07pm

Comments

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 4, Twins 1

Recap: Adam Jones broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with his third home run, a no-doubter to left field on an 0-2 pitch. Jones had an RBI double in the sixth, and Mark Trumbo delivered an RBI single. Mike Wright became the first Orioles starter to work into the fifth. He tossed five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out two. Brad Brach pitched out of a jam in the sixth by getting a strikeout and double play. Mychal Givens retired the side in order in the seventh. Darren O'Day allowed a run in the eighth on Buck Brittons' RBI single. Michael Almanzar drove in a run in the seventh. Dale Thayer struck out the side in the ninth for the save.

Need to know: Wright threw 63 pitches, 43 strikes. He didn't walk a batter for the second time in four starts. Twins center fielder Max Kepler robbed Manny Machado in the first inning with a diving catch in right-center field. Adam Jones poked a single into right field in the first. Hyun Soo Kim flied to the fence in left field in the third, coming close to his first home run. He singled into left field in the seventh inning for his sixth hit of the spring. J.J. Hardy reached on an infield hit in the second. Tonight's attendance: 6,872

On deck: Friday vs. Yankees at Tampa, 6:35 p.m.
_______________________________________

SARASOTA, Fla. - Adam Jones collected his second RBI of the night with a double in the sixth inning that plated Manny Machado, who drew a one-out walk. Mark Trumbo delivered an RBI single, as the Orioles inched closer to their fourth victory of the spring.

Michael Almanzar contributed an RBI single in the seventh to increase the lead to 4-0.

Brad Brach gave up a leadoff single in the top of the sixth and walked the next batter, but he escaped the jam with a strikeout and double play.

Mychal Givens retired the Twins in order in the seventh.

Mike Wright allowed four hits and didn't walk a batter in five scoreless innings.

"I wouldn't say it's the best I've felt," he said. "I felt really good, but I have my last three starts. Every single one of them I felt pretty good.

"In my last two starts, that could easily have been the same results because I felt good, I felt like I was locating well. All my pitches felt pretty good, so I was happy to finally get the results in this game."

Wright needs them. He knows it.

"Usually, the guys that are working on stuff, they have a spot," Wright said. "I don't have a guaranteed spot, so to get the results is huge, because even though you're doing your part - you're making your pitches - if you're giving up runs, it doesn't look good to put you on the roster. To get the results is good for confidence and it makes me feel better going home tonight."

The rotation isn't set. There's still competition in camp, as manager Buck Showalter pointed out, and Wright is in the thick of it.

"I felt like that ever since I came in," he said. "Everything's a competition. Even if there were five set spots, there was no telling what happens. For me not to come out here and compete would be not good for myself or the team, so I was coming out to compete ever since Day One. I don't think anything's changed even though he's bringing it to light now."

Wright's night took a turn for the better after Carlos Quentin grounded into a double play to end the first inning. Eduardo Nunez and Miguel Sano had back-to-back singles before Quentin came to the plate.

"I've had a lot of times when I've had a guy on first or first and second and really needed a double play and it just hasn't seemed to happen, so for that to come, especially right there in the first, was huge," Wright said.