Two years ago, Tyler Wilson started against the Orioles in an exhibition game at Triple-A Norfolk. Now he's replacing their starter on opening day.
No task is too daunting for Wilson, who broke camp with the Orioles for the first time. He's confident but not obnoxiously cocky. He's got swagger, but nothing that's going to offend teammates. He's easily one of the most likeable guys in the clubhouse, and he's got intangibles that keep drawing the Orioles to him.
Wilson can get into trouble on the mound, take a step back, collect himself and plow through a lineup. It's one of the qualities that endears him to manager Buck Showalter, who keeps pointing out how Wilson wins everywhere he goes.
Forced into today's game after a 1 hour, 10 minute rain delay that prevented Chris Tillman's return, Wilson allowed a double to Eduardo Escobar on his first pitch in the third inning and retired the next three batters on a ground ball, strikeout and fly ball.
Byron Buxton, one of the elite prospects in baseball, swung through a 91 mph fastball for the second out of the inning.
Joe Mauer led off the fourth by grounding out to short, and the next two batters popped up to Chris Davis. Wilson fell behind 3-0 to Miguel Sano before retiring him on the next pitch.
Wilson began the day with 36 major league innings under his belt, if that's the appropriate place to keep them. He registered a 3.50 ERA in nine appearances, including five starts.
A 10th-round pick in 2011 out of the University of Virginia, Wilson was told only that he'd begin this season in the bullpen. The Orioles need a fifth starter on April 10 and he's a candidate, along with Vance Worley, who started Friday night's exhibition finale in Philadelphia.
Mike Wright, Wilson's close friend, is the No. 4 starter. Tillman will take the mound again on Saturday after being cheated today by the weather.
Tillman waited through a 1 hour, 41 minute delay brought on by the threat of rain. The real stuff arrived after the game began, and a second delay ended his day.
Tillman struck out five of the six batters he faced and left after throwing 22 pitches, including 17 for strikes. His stuff was nasty. We'll never know how far it could have carried it.
The Twins removed their starter, Ervin Santana, and replaced him with Ryan Pressly. J.J. Hardy drew a two-out walk in the third, but he was stranded.
Update: The Orioles scored twice off reliever Casey Fien in the fifth to break a scoerless tie.
Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard led off with a double, making him 2-for-2 in his major league debut, Manny Machado singled and Adam Jones delivered a two-run double to right-center field.
Mark Trumbo has singled twice today.
Wilson shut out the Twins on two hits over three innings, striking out one batter and throwing 26 of 38 pitches for strikes.
Update II: Mychal Givens was charged with two runs in the seventh and we're tied.
Givens was hurt by two doubles sandwiched around a hit batter. Kurt Suzuki lifted a sacrifice fly off Brad Brach that scored Byung Ho Park and knotted the score.
Rickard reached into the seats in foul territory to make the catch. There's a press box debate whether he should have let the ball drop and prevented Park from scoring.
Update III: Matt Wieters delivered a two-out walk-off single against Kevin Jepsen to give the Orioles a 3-2 win.
Wieters was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and had stranded five runners.
Chris Davis walked with two outs and Mark Trumbo singled for the fourth time today before Wieters singled up the middle on the next for his eighth career walk-off hit.
By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.masnsports.com/