Twins

Chris Tillman had a rocky outing Saturday night in his first start of the season, which came hours after he was activated from the 15-day disabled list. The right-hander lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed five earned runs. Tillman, who was placed on the DL with a left abdominal strain on March 28, started strong in the first inning, needing just 13 pitches to retire the first three Minnesota Twins batters, including catcher Joe Mauer, in order. But Tillman quickly lost his command in the top of the second inning.

The Orioles trail the Twins 5-4 after six innings in today's homer opening at Camden Yards. The Twins scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning on Brian Dozier's out-out single off reliever Troy Patton. Patton entered the game for starter Jake Arrieta, who left runners at first and second with no outs in the inning after a leadoff walk to Ryan Doumit and a single by Trevor Plouffe. The Orioles tied the game 4-4 in the fifth inning when Adam Jones hit a run-scoring double over Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks, scoring Nick Markakis from first base to cut the Orioles' deficit to one. Jones moved to third on the throw home, which skipped past catcher Ryan Doumit, and then scored on Chris Davis' sacrifice fly to center to tie the game.

The Orioles made a move Thursday night that likely solved their Opening Day roster logjam - for a few days, anyway. Right-hander Chris Tillman was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left abdominal strain, retroactive to March 22, the earliest date a transaction can be backdated this spring. That means Tillman is eligible to come off the DL on April 6 and pitch the fifth game of the season against the Minnesota Twins. It also means the Orioles have an extra roster spot to play with for the first four days of the season, which likely will allow Rule 5 left-hander T.J. McFarland and infielder Ryan Flaherty - two players who have been on the roster bubble since camp opened - to make the club.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Predicting the path of the baseball through 26-mph winds at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday afternoon was difficult for both the Orioles and Twins. In their final road game of the spring, the Orioles lost, 9-5, while playing in a fierce wind blowing out in right field. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters and Twins left fielder Josh Willingham both hit homers that caught in the wind and drifted out. For outfielders on both teams, however, it was an adventure. For the first time this spring, the Orioles fielded a starting lineup on the road full of regulars.

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis took batting practice for the second straight day Monday and could DH tomorrow in Fort Myers against the Twins.  Markakis, dealing with a small disk herniation in his neck, hasn't played in a spring game since March 1, but is confident he will get enough at-bats to be ready for the season. In returning from offseason abdominal surgery last spring, he needed just 25 at-bats. He has 14 this spring heading into the final week of spring games.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- While the consensus is that Brian Matusz will make the Orioles' 25-man roster and pitch in the bullpen like he did superbly at the end of last season, the 26-year-old lefty has said repeatedly that he is approaching this spring as if he is going to once again pitch in the rotation. Matusz let his pitches make his case in his first start of the spring Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins, Dominant from the beginning in the Orioles' 9-4 Grapefruit League victory, Matusz struck out six of the first seven batters he faced.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Orioles right-hander Jair Jurrjens, making his second spring start, struggled mightily through a 34-pitch inning in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Jurrjens allowed three earned runs on two hits and three walks, battling his control throughout the outing. Of the eight hitters he faced, he threw just two first-pitch strikes. “My timing today was way off,” Jurrjens said. “I wasn't finishing the ball, it was starting a ball and then finishing a ball.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman struggled early but settled in his second inning of work Thursday, striking out major leaguers Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe on a pair of 96 mph fastballs in his second career spring appearance. Gausman, whose fastball was steadily from 93-96 mph and topped at 97, allowed three hits in his first inning of work in the fourth, including a pair of back-to-back, two-out singles to Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham. Mauer's single, which fell just in front of a diving Trayvon Robinson in left, plated Darin Mastroianni, who reached on a one-out double off Gausman.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Orioles finally lost a Grapefruit League game. The Twins jumped out to a six-run lead Thursday afternoon, three of them off starter Jair Jurrjens in the first inning, as the Orioles lost their first spring game, 7-1, at Hammond Stadium. The Orioles had won their first five Grapefruit League games. Jurrjens, making his second spring start, struggled mightily through a 34-pitch first inning . Jurrjens, who is trying to earn a rotation spot after signing a minor league contract, allowed three earned runs on two hits and three walks, battling with his control throughout the outing.