Ubaldo Jimenez on tonight's abbreviated start (O's win fourth straight, top Pirates)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 5, Pirates 3

Recap: Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard led off the ninth with a single and scored the tie-breaking run from first base on Garabez Rosa's single off the scoreboard in left field. Rosa scored on Josh Hart's single. Ubaldo Jimenez, lined up to be the Orioles' No. 3 starter, retired only two batters and was charged with three runs and four hits. Pedro Alvarez and Nolan Reimold hit back-to-back home runs in the first. Alvarez was making his first appearance in Bradenton since leaving the Pirates. The bullpen tossed 8 1/3 scoreless innings. Brad Brach retired the side in order in the third and Zach Phillips retired five of six batters. Chaz Roe struck out two in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. T.J. McFarland worked around a two-out walk in the seventh. Xavier Avery singled in the eighth and scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Minor leaguer Jason Stoffel survived a leadoff walk in the eighth. Oliver Drake recorded the save.

Need to know: Jimenez threw 35 pitches, 20 for strikes, and did more throwing in the bullpen after coming out. He lasted only one-third of an inning in his debut against the Braves. Reimold had hits in six straight at-bats over three games after his home run and single. The damage included two homers and four RBIs. Reimold also walked in the eighth. Josh Harrison had a two-run triple to left field in the first because no one covered third base. Should have been a double. Rosa, who replaced Ryan Flaherty in the lineup, singled in his first at-bat and is 8-for-12 in Grapefruit League games. Catcher Chris O'Brien committed a throwing error on an attempted pickoff at first base. With a four-game win streak, the Orioles are 9-14-4.

On deck: Monday, vs. Red Sox in Fort Myers, 1:05 p.m.
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BRADENTON, Fla. - Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez said he couldn't find his fastball command tonight.

The search continued in the bullpen, where Jimenez got up three times to run his pitch count to around 80.

Jimenez threw 36 pitches, 21 for strikes, while retiring only two batters. He explained why manager Buck Showalter took him out of the game, which the Pirates lead 3-2 in the seventh.

Call it the safety dance.

"Because I think I threw too many pitches in that inning," he said. "I almost was to 40, so they didn't want me to go that far, especially being spring training."

Jimenez walked leadoff hitter John Jaso and it never got better for him. Five of the seven batters reached base and he was done, three runs and four hits on the board.

"I just didn't have good command of the fastball," he said. "I was falling behind in the count and they made me pay for it. I think the only two good pitches that I threw, they were able to find a hole. (Andrew) McCutchen (single] and then the other one (Josh Harrison) hit a blooper. There's not a lot I can do with it. But I didn't have good command of the fastball today."

Jimenez could make one more start, when the Orioles are in Philadelphia on Friday after breaking camp. This isn't how he wanted to leave behind the Grapefruit League.

"Yeah, you're never going to be happy to be out of the game in the first inning," he said. "It doesn't matter if it's a Little League game or major league game. But it's part of the game.

"The good thing is it's spring training, where I can go in the bullpen and keep throwing more pitches and have my pitch count up."

The bullpen has shut out the Pirates over 5 1/3 innings. Brad Brach retired the side in order in the third, Zach Phillips retired five of the six batters he faced and Chaz Roe struck out two batters in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

With Brian Matusz likely headed to the disabled list, Phillips has emerged as a legitimate consideration as a second or third left-hander in the bullpen, depending on whether T.J. McFarland also breaks camp with the team as a long man backing up five right-handed starters.

Phillips has retired eight of the nine batters he's faced in two games since signing with the Orioles.