Wrapping up a 7-1 loss

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Orioles returned to Sarasota this afternoon without any updates on the medical chart. No one got hurt.

They'll take the victories that don't show up in the Grapefruit League standings, which no longer list them as unbeaten.

Nate Karns and Hunter Harvey felt good physically while allowing two earned runs in the Orioles' 7-1 loss to the Twins at Hammond Stadium. Karns surrendered three runs overall in 1 2/3 innings. Byron Buxton hit a two-run shot off Harvey in the fifth.

Karns used all of his pitches, including a fastball topping out at 93 mph on the stadium radar gun. Harvey really brought the heat, sitting 95-97 mph and topping at 98 on his strikeout of Jake Cave to conclude the fifth.

"I checked on how they're feeling and they're feeling great after their outings," said manager Brandon Hyde. "I think they were just both so excited to get out there. The adrenaline was at a high. They hadn't been out and pitched in a competitive situation like that in a long time. I think they were just super-excited.

"Obviously the results aren't probably what they wanted, but we were just happy to get them out there and they both showed really good stuff, so positives from there for sure."

The Twins were squaring up Harvey, beginning with Eddie Rosario's leadoff double to right field. C.J. Cron flied to right, a loud out, and Buxton followed with his home run to left field, giving him five RBIs on the day.

Willians Astudillo also made solid contact while flying to right before Cave chased a rising fastball.

I had Harvey at 17 pitches, 11 for strikes.

"My body felt good, my arm felt good," he said. "Could be better, but I think it was OK for the first time out.

"First time, really to get off the field was the main thing. Get out there, I wanted to feel good and the ball felt like it was coming out good. And in the bullpen everything felt good. It was a good day."

There could be benefits to keeping Karns and Harvey together in the same pitching groups. Karns, with more experience, could be a valuable resource.

"He's a good guy to bounce stuff off, too, because he hasn't pitched since last spring training," Harvey said. "I haven't pitched since June 1, so to follow him up today and just get back out there and compete, it feels good."

"I haven't talked to them about that," Hyde said. "They just kind of lined up that way. But I was really impressed. After the homer, Hunter, the next pitch was 97 on the plate, just really, really aggressive. Just too pumped up, I think. He just kind of came out of his delivery a couple times just because he was so excited to be out there.

"Punching a guy out at 98 to end the inning, fantastic arm and great stuff."

Hyde wasn't sure what kind of velocity Harvey would bring into his first game.

"Especially everybody's first-time outings, you just don't know what to expect, whether it's rust or adrenaline or nervous," Hyde said. "I think as guys kind of flow into spring training and get more reps under their belt offensive and on the mound, you start seeing a little bit more of who they are. So you kind of take the first couple outings as more getting their work in and get their feet wet and then you can start evaluating from there."

Said Harvey: "I wouldn't say (velocity) matters a whole lot. I know I had one inning and it was the first time in a while and I just wanted to get that adrenaline going. It's the first time I felt that in a while, so it's just trying to get it under control now."

Hitting 98 mph is fine as long as the delivery is free and easy, which Hyde checked from the dugout.

"It's an effortless mid-to-upper 90s fastball," Hyde said. "He was just overthrowing his off-speed stuff and so he's getting in hitters' counts and they were sitting heater on him. But when he starts commanding those secondary pitches he's going to be really tough."

Harvey will be evaluated after today and have a side session before his next appearance.

The Orioles couldn't do much offensively, the only run scoring on Eric Young Jr.'s homer in the second. His double play grounder in the fourth ended a rally that started with an Austin Wynns walk and Jace Peterson single. Singles by Yusniel Diaz and Jack Reinheimer in the sixth also were wasted.

Reinheimer went 2-for-2 after entering the game at shortstop.

Young and Renato Núñez were charged with errors, the latter setting up an unearned run off Karns in the second. But the Orioles recorded an out at the plate on Buxton's two-run double in the first - Young to Drew Jackson to Wynns.

Luis Ortiz surrendered two runs and three hits in two innings.

"First outing, probably a little bit nervous, high adrenaline, throwing in the mid-90s, which was great," Hyde said. "He's got a great arm. And so these next couple times out, let him kind of settle in a little bit, facing opposing lineups and evaluate from there. But I was really happy with Louie. I thought he competed.

"We didn't play our best game defensively behind anybody and I think it kind of led to higher pitch counts and more traffic than we would like," Hyde said.

Miguel Castro retired the side in order in the sixth and Donnie Hart did the same in the seventh while striking out two batters.