Showalter on Jimenez: "We'll see what the end product is"

DUNEDIN, Fla. - On a day that Ubaldo Jimenez pitched three scoreless innings and one frame where he gave up three runs, Orioles manager Buck Showalter saw signs of progress from the right-hander.

"Yeah, a little bit," Showalter said after the Orioles' 5-3 loss here to Toronto at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. "There are some things that he is doing that I'm not going to say (are) drastic, but they are different for him. It will take a little while, but I think every outing has gotten a little bit better.

"He had some counts in his favor and they're running a pretty good lineup out there. Not easy getting on a bus and two hours coming over here. I'm OK with where he is right now, but we'll see what the end product is."

Jimenez took another loss to fall to 0-3 with an ERA of 11.05 in 7 1/3 spring innings.

"(A) little better," Showalter said. "Little by little. Had some good innings and had a lot of counts in his favor. Got ahead of some hitters, so a little better. Hopefully, it's a sign that each outing is going to get a little better.

"He put in a lot of work this offseason. Did a lot of things that he hasn't (done before). ... He's been real open to a lot of things. Top to bottom, he's done a lot of things in the offseason that he hasn't done before. I won't get into exact things, but he's given it every possible (effort). ... Usually, guys doing the things that he is trying to do get a return for it. I couldn't be happier with his effort and the want-to part of it."

After his outing, when asked about trying to get better results as he compete for a rotation spot, Jimenez said he is approaching this spring training the way he has every other one in his career.

Is that the best move for him or should he concentrate on better results right now?

"I think mentally, yeah, it is," Showalter said. "We'll find out. The end product is down the road. Believe me, there are a lot of things that he has been very open about and very comfortable with. I'll be real impressed with his openness on things.

"(Working with) Wally (Dave Wallace), Dom (Chiti) and Ramon (Martinez), he's been very cooperative on everything. We're listening to him a lot, too. He knows he's capable of better."

After T. J. McFarland allowed two runs over two innings, right-hander Tyler Wilson came on as the O's third and final pitcher of the day.

Wilson blanked Toronto in the seventh and eighth and Wilson has now pitched six scoreless innings over three spring outings. Showalter had plenty of praise for the O's 2014 minor league Pitcher of the Year.

"He's probably two, two and a half miles an hour difference (with his velocity) than when he came out of the draft. He's playing with some bullets that he didn't have before," the manager said.

"He's been impressive, he's athletic. He used the same move to first base three times, they decided to call it (a balk) last time.

"You need to take advantage of every opportunity you get. PFP (pitchers fielding practice), whether it's in the weight room. He takes care of himself. He's got a chance to be a contributer, he's a real professional kid."

In an interview over the winter, Wilson told me about his velocity increase last year after his use of weighted baseballs.

Final notes: The Orioles fall to 3-9 and have lost three in a row and seven their last eight games. They've scored 11 runs over the past six games.

Henry Urrutia went 3-for-4 with an RBI double and a run-scoring single. He is now 6-for-15 (.400) with two doubles and four RBIs.

The Orioles host Tampa Bay on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium, with Brian Matusz scheduled to start against Nate Karns. Other Orioles slated to pitch include Darren O'Day, Wesley Wright, Tim Berry and Logan Verrett.

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the Orioles play the Puerto Rico development team on a back field at the stadium and it will be open to the public. Chris Tillman and Tommy Hunter will pitch in that game.

The Orioles play the Pirates in Bradenton on Sunday afternoon, but they will also play a B game Sunday at Ed Smith Stadium at 10 a.m. with Kevin Gausman and Zach Britton scheduled to pitch. That game will be closed to the public, but open for reporters and scouts.