Twins drop split-squad decision to Orioles
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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Ubaldo Jimenez has his best outing of spring training, allowing two runs and five hits over four innings Wednesday as the Baltimore Orioles beat a Minnesota Twins' split squad 3-2.
Jimenez, 57-56 since going 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA for Colorado in 2009, struck out four, walked one and lowered his ERA from 11.05 to 8.74.
"Ubaldo pitched very well," said Twins bench coach Joe Vavra, Minnesota's acting manager while Paul Molitor handled the game against Boston. "That's as good as I've seen him. We've faced him how many times now. His fastball just had a lot of life to it."
Jimenez is among six candidates for five rotation spots along with Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Bud Norris, Miguel Gonzalez and Kevin Gausman .
"I never put that in my mind," Jimenez said. "I'm doing the same thing that I've been doing the last 13 spring trainings, counting the minor leagues, and that's getting myself ready for the season."
Orioles manager Buck Showalter declined to discuss whether Jimenez has shown enough to make the rotation.
"Half the games of spring training are left to play," Showalter said. "We don't have to get ahead of ourselves. I just hope everybody stays healthy and continues to pitch like they are, for the most part, so that we have those tough decisions."
Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run home run off Minnesota starter Ervin Santana.
Former Twin Delmon Young had two hits for the Orioles in a game that took just 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Eduardo Nunez, trying to win a bench spot with the Twins, drove in a run along with Eddie Rosario, who hopes to become Minnesota's starting center fielder.
"Rosario looked good," Vavra said. "You can look at the defensive plays that he made."