Tie with Braves keeps O's unbeaten in 6 games
SARASOTA, Fla. —Minor leaguer Garabez Rosa singled to drive in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Orioles salvaged a 4-4 tie with the Atlanta Braves to remain unbeaten in their past six Grapefruit League games.
Rosa, who has made the most of playing in major league games this spring, is 9-for-17 with seven RBIs.
The Orioles are 5-0-1 in their past six games.
Two of the Orioles' four runs came on homers by third baseman Manny Machado and catcher Matt Wieters.
Despite allowing eight base runners — seven hits and one hit batter — right-hander Miguel Gonzalez turned in his best outing of the spring, holding Atlanta to one run over five innings.
The Orioles (10-14-5) took a 3-1 lead into the sixth inning before the Braves scored three runs off reliever Zach Phillips, who allowed the first four batters he faced to reach base on three singles and a walk. Phillips hadn't allowed a run in 22/3 innings in two appearances since joining the Orioles last week.
Wieters' third-inning homer was his first of the spring and came in his first game back as a catcher since he left after one inning March 12 with tightness in his surgically reconstructed right elbow.
Machado hot from the leadoff spot: Machado took the fourth pitch he saw — a 92-mph fastball from Braves starter Matt Wisler on a 2-1 count — over the center-field fence to lead off the bottom of the first for his fifth homer of spring training. Machado has three homers in his past three games and is hitting .308 this spring. Three of Machado's five homers have come from the leadoff spot.
Britton dominant again: Closer Zach Britton retired all three batters he faced in the eighth inning, striking out two and inducing a groundout to first. Britton has 11 strikeouts over his past five outings spanning six innings. He's allowed just two hits over that time. On the spring, Britton has allowed just one earned run over 10 innings, posting a 0.90 ERA.
Bundy rebounds: Right-handed reliever Dylan Bundy posted a scoreless multiple-inning appearance, retiring six of the seven batters he faced in the ninth and 10th innings. Bundy rebounded from his previous outing, when he allowed two runs in two innings Friday against the New York Yankees. Bundy has a 3.65 ERA this spring but hasn't allowed an earned run in six of his nine outings.
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