Miguel Gonzalez "focused and confident" tonight (Orioles, Braves tie 4-4 in 10)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 4, Braves 4 (in 10 innings)

Recap: Needing a good start to improve his chances of making the club, Miguel Gonzalez allowed one run and seven hits over five innings - his longest stint of the spring. He walked none, struck out four and hit a batter. Manny Machado led off the bottom of the first inning with his fifth home run. Matt Wieters hit his first home run in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie. It also was his first RBI. Zach Phillips was charged with three runs in the top of the sixth, but Mark Trumbo had an RBI single in the bottom half. Darren O'Day and Zach Britton each struck out two while retiring the side in order in the seventh and eighth, respectively. Dylan Bundy pitched a scoreless ninth. Paul Janish led off the ninth with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch with one out and went to third tagging on a fly out to right. Garabez Rosa hit an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4. Bundy came back out for the 10th, giving up a two-out single but retiring the side. Joey Rickard hit a one-out single in the 10th. Caleb Joseph then hit a two-out infield single, but Janish hit a grounder to third to end the game in a 4-4 tie.

Need to know: Gonzalez threw 75 pitches, 52 for strikes. Machado charged Hector Olivera's chopper in the first inning, made the barehanded pickup and threw him out. He also made a nice play to start a 5-4-3 double play and bail out Gonzalez in the fifth. Trumbo produced his 17th RBI this spring. Britton has allowed one run and struck out 13 in eight innings. Tonight's attendance: 6,575. The Orioles are now 10-14-5.

On deck: Wednesday, vs. Tigers in Sarasota, 6:05 p.m. on MASN
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SARASOTA, Fla. - Did Miguel Gonzalez do enough tonight to keep his spot in the rotation?

Gonzalez held the Braves to one run over five innings, his longest outing of the spring. He scattered seven hits, walked none, struck out four and hit a batter.

Third baseman Manny Machado made a nice stop on Tyler Moore's bouncer and started a big 5-4-3 double play after the Braves put two runners on base in the fifth.

Moore's sacrifice fly in the third accounted for the Braves' only run off Gonzalez, who lowered his ERA from 12.56 to 9.78 in 19 1/3 innings.

"Good, good," said Gonzalez, who had Matt Wieters behind the plate. "I know it's toward the end and I wanted to get a good outing just to feel better, and mentally and overall I did good.

"I'm not trying to do too much, stay within myself and follow Wheaty. Wheaty did a good job back there and our defense, fantastic job."

The first three spots in the rotation appear to be set, though manager Buck Showalter only has confirmed Chris Tillman as the opening day starter. Yovani Gallardo and Ubaldo Jimenez should follow.

No pressure, right?

'No, no," Gonzalez said. "Every time I go out there you get that adrenaline going and you're good to go. It's one of those days that I felt good with everything. I was throwing every single pitch at any count and that's what helped me out."

Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson impressed Showalter again yesterday in Fort Myers. If Gonzalez wasn't pitching to save his job, it only felt that way.

"We're all here to support each other, and I know Mike and Tyler Wilson have been doing a really good job and I'm happy with them," Gonzalez said. "They're trying to get on the team and I'm going to do the best I can to help the team win and that's what we're here for."

Gonzalez had plus command tonight, but he didn't agree that it was his best of the spring.

"I had some good command in some other outings against the Red Sox, the Yankees," he said. "Today was that day that I had a little luck on my side and that definitely feels good."

Luck and solid defense, especially from Machado.

"Hey, that's what they're there for," he said. "Our defense in one of the best out there, so just give them the chance to make plays. That's what it's all about.

"We know what we have behind us. Our defense has been great the past couple years, so it's always exciting to make a pitch and then they make really good plays out there."

Gonzalez did a nice job escaping jams. He wasn't burned by Kelly Johnson's leadoff double in the second or the pitch that hit Tyler Flowers with two outs. Two singles in the fourth also produced nothing.

"It keeps you focused and confident," Gonzalez said. "You can't get too big when you have runners on and making pitches, that's what is going to maintain and keep me where I'm at. Keep doing what we're doing right now. We're playing good baseball right now."

It appeared that Gonzalez was more reliant on his splitter and off-speed stuff, as if trying to get a feel for them.

"I want to get every single pitch," Gonzalez said. "Obviously, if I'm under control and I'm making my pitches and everything is feeling well, I'm going to feel good about myself. Wheaty did a fantastic job with mixing in pitches and we did good."

The Orioles trail 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh. The Braves scored three runs off left-hander Zach Phillips in the top of the sixth and Mark Trumbo had an RBI single that scored Adam Jones in the bottom half.

Darren O'Day retired the side with two strikeouts in the seventh.

Update: Garabez Rosa singled with two outs in the ninth to score Paul Janish and tied the game 4-4. Janish singled and moved up on a wild pitch and fly ball.

Zach Britton struck out two while retiring the side in order in the eighth. Dylan Bundy pitched a scoreless ninth and his back out for the 10th.