Wrapping up an 8-3 win

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter got his four World Baseball Classic position players in today's lineup and they combined for six hits in an 8-3 win over the Pirates in the home opener at Ed Smith Stadium.

Five of the hits went for extra bases. Adam Jones and Manny Machado launched solo home runs, and Jones, Jonathan Schoop and Welington Castillo doubled. Castillo also singled and threw out a runner attempting to steal.

Schoop leaves camp on Tuesday to join Team Netherlands. Machado and Castillo leave March 5 to join the Dominican Republic and Jones heads out the following day to play for Team USA.

"Yeah, those guys are pushing earlier than normal," Showalter said. "You can tell they've all got a lot of pride in the teams and countries they're going to be playing for and they really want to present themselves well, and I think we saw a little byproduct of that today."

Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavárez broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning, stole second and third base and scored on Trey Mancini's two-run double. The other Rule 5 outfielder, Anthony Santander, is 2-for-6 with an RBI.

"As advertised," Showalter said. "Obviously, Santander's a pretty good hitter and he's getting closer to being able to get on the field and take a look at it from that perspective. Tavárez is a plus runner, real athletic.

"Both of these guys you'd like to have in your system. Teams don't have a whole lot of guys running around like that. We have some, but not as many as ... you always want more. The problem with this is you don't have that ability to put them in your system except for Baltimore. But there's always ways to work it out."

Tavárez seemed more likely to fit the Orioles' needs back in December because of his speed and ability to play all three of the outfield positions. The Orioles signed veteran outfielders Craig Gentry and Michael Bourn to minor league deals after reporting to spring training.

"When we drafted him, yes, but the landscape's kind of changed the last two or three weeks," Showalter said. "But he's a left fielder, potential leadoff guy. Trying to get our arms around him defensively."

Left-hander Wade Miley allowed one run on Eric Wood's two-out homer in the second inning. He threw 19 of 27 pitches for strikes.

"Good first day," Showalter said. "Good to get it out of the way. It's always fun for me to see guys who have been pitching for a while first time out there. They're not nervous, not anxiety. You can see their kind of like 'Let's get going. I want to get this one under my belt.'

"It felt good. One ambush and that's it."

Miley worked fast and threw first-pitch strikes to eight of the nine batters he faced.

"When he's dictating tempo, there's no wrong pitch," Showalter said. "Sometimes, you sit out there and grind. 'OK, what's the perfect pitch here? Should I throw this? Should I throw that?' With the approach he had last year, they're all the right pitch if the presentation is right.

"There are some places you stay out of against hitters. You know you don't go there. In some outings he had, every pitch was the right pitch regardless of the count, and he's not a guy that guys are able to sit on any pitch. And when he commands the fastball, which he does most of the time, he can present a lot of challenges."

The last two innings were covered by Jefri Hernandez and left-hander Garrett Cleavinger, who were summoned from minor league camp. Hernandez, chosen in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, retired the Pirates in order in the eighth inning.

Showalter's son, Nathan, had scouted Hernandez.

Earlier today, the Orioles announced that they released left-hander T.J. McFarland after he passed through release waivers.

"That's what, step two? So we'll see where that takes us," Showalter said.

Asked whether he'd like to keep McFarland in the organization, Showalter replied, "Yes, I'd like to. In a perfect world we'd like to have him back. We'll see if it can be worked out. We'll leave that in their hands."

The Orioles remain home on Monday with Ubaldo Jiménez getting the start against the Yankees' Chad Green.