Miley gives Orioles the required four innings (O's lead 4-1)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Wade Miley needed to show the Orioles today that he could do more than get outs. He had to stay strong while doing it.

Stamina was an important element of Miley's start, a prolonged scuffle with the flu leaving him weak. He made it through the fourth, striking out two in his last inning while retiring the side and leaving with a 3-1 lead.

Miley allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four. I've got him at 64 pitches, 43 for strikes.

The Orioles aimed for four innings and 55-60 pitches from Miley.

Miley threw 11 pitches in the first inning, aided by Hyun Soo Kim's throw from left field that cut down Freddie Freeman trying to stretch a single into a double. Miley needed 22 pitches to complete a scoreless second, including a nine-pitch walk by Kurt Suzuki. The Braves wasted two singles, the second an infield hit by Nick Markakis.

Emilio Bonifacio reached on an infield hit with one out in the third inning - third baseman Ryan Flaherty made a nice diving stop and throw - and Dansby Swanson pushed a ground ball through the right side. Freeman flied to the warning track in left and the Orioles' lead was reduced to 3-1.

Markakis saw eight pitches before grounding out to lead off the fourth. Adonis García and Suzuki struck out.

Mychal Givens is warming in the bullpen.

Upon arriving at Champion Stadium, manager Buck Showalter stressed the importance of today's start.

"All these guys we're sending down are still in play really for the fourth and fifth spot, depending on what happens to Miley today," Showalter said. "If we feel like he's not ready to go ... I feel like he will be, but ask me after the game today. We could push him back to the fourth spot and let him gain some endurance."

Mike Wright was one of the pitchers sent down. The Orioles optioned him today to Triple-A Norfolk.

"We're looking for people we can trust," Showalter said. "It's like I told him and a few of them here, 'I like that you're working on your arm slot, from which side of the rubber you're on, not being so rotational, getting down the hill. I like it, I got it, but get somebody out.' That's kind of where we are now in that part of spring.

"We want people we think can get people out and Mike can be one of those guys."

Wright won't be used in long relief.

"It's one of our strengths," Showalter said. "We want to have five guys starting in Norfolk that we feel like we can go get. That has a chance to be a real strength for us."

Chris Tillman played catch for the second time since receiving a cortisone injection in his right shoulder.

"Actually better than last time," Showalter said. "Not that it was bad last time. But real good. Good body language. You could tell he felt good, so that was encouraging."

Tillman won't have to start over in his progression.

"It's not going to be complete half mound, full mound, all that stuff," Showalter said. "He's a little bit ahead of that."

Kim, in a rare at-bat against a left-hander, struck out in the second inning versus Jaime García.

"In spring training, you're not going to be able to tell a whole lot," Showalter said. "You're also not going to be able to tell from Korean League statistics. There are a lot of things that went on over there that didn't happen last year, but it doesn't mean it can't happen here. And somewhere along the line he may get an opportunity."

Trey Mancini is back at his natural position today, starting at first base instead of playing right field.

"I've got to tell you, I kind of like what I've seen in the outfield," Showalter said. "It's not better than I thought it was going to be, but I haven't been disappointed in him in the outfield."

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out single by Caleb Joseph and Flaherty's triple into right-center field. Flaherty also had an RBI triple Sunday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

Joseph is wearing No. 86 today. Maybe he can see more fastballs with the higher digits.

The lead grew to 3-0 in the third on Joey Rickard's leadoff single, Craig Gentry's double and Pedro Álvarez's two-run single. Gentry walked and stole his sixth base in the first inning.

Update: Wade Miley was pleased with the results of his four-inning start and how he felt during it, endurance not an issue in the intense heat.

"I felt good," Miley said after making his first Grapefruit League start since March 14. "I felt like I didn't get super-tired at all. Got the pitch count back to where I wanted to be at. Everything went well."

Miley said he'll be ready for opening day.

"I feel like I was in a pretty good spot out there," he said. "Was able to make pitches, execute pitches, and never really got super-tired or winded or anything like that, so it felt good."

Going four innings gave Miley the number of "ups" that the club wanted to see.

"I feel like I was throwing all four pitches for strikes, commanding them in and out. I think that's huge," he said.

Miley has logged 13 innings this spring, the flu holding him back.

"I'm used to throwing 15, 16, 17 innings and those innings weren't there," he said. "A lot of stuff I had to do, side work, it's a little different when you don't have a hitter in the box. But hopefully I can stay fresh and ready for the season.

Update II: Chris Dickerson walked and stole second base in the seventh inning, and he scored on Cedrick Mullin's double to right field to give the Orioles a 4-1 lead.