Hughes Tosses 3 Perfect Innings, Twins Beat Orioles 3-0
SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Phil Hughes pitched perfect three innings as the Minnesota Twins beat the winless Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Monday.
In Hughes' two starts, he's allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings. He's yet to strike out a batter.
Baltimore lost for the seventh straight time. The Orioles are 0-7-1 this spring.
"It's hard to assess this outing when it goes so quick," Hughes said. "As the pitch count grows, I'll have a little more hitter feedback."
Ubaldo Jimenez, who gave up six runs and retired just one batter in his first start, pitched three shutout innings, giving up only a leadoff double to Byron Buxton in the first.
The Twins scored in the fifth on an RBI single by John Hicks and made it 2-0 in the sixth with a run-scoring double by Trevor Plouffe.
Trevor May followed Hughes with 2 1-3 scoreless innings.
STARTING TIME
Twins: Hughes threw just 26 pitches in three innings. "They were swinging early, and I was getting some outs," Hughes said.
Hughes isn't worried about his lack of strikeouts.
"If they want to swing at the second pitch of every at-bat and give me an out, I will gladly take that," Hughes said. "If I go the whole spring and don't strike anybody out, that might be a concern."
Manager Paul Molitor was pleased with Hughes' outing.
"It seems like he's a little bit of a mission," Molitor said.
Orioles: Jimenez said that the staff needs good performances collectively.
"That's something we are looking for. It's not only about one guy. You could have one guy win 20 games and have a good season, but if the other ones don't do what they're supposed to you're in trouble, so that's the challenge we have, and that's what we are looking forward to do," Jimenez said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: C Stuart Turner has been held back because of a stiff back.
Otherwise Molitor said Minnesota has had a clean spring, injury-wise.
"We're doing well," Molitor said.
Orioles: LHP T.J. McFarland had an X-ray of his left elbow. He was removed from Sunday's game at Boston after he had tenderness in his elbow. ... INF Ozzie Martinez, who collided on Sunday with INF Garabez Rosa, was tested for concussion-like symptoms. The Orioles believe he has whiplash. ... LHP Brian Matusz, who is out with a lower back injury, is progressing nicely, manager Buck Showalter said.
UP NEXT
Twins: Hosts St. Louis as RHPs Ricky Nolasco and Michael Wacha start against each other.
Orioles: Hosts Boston with RHP Miguel Gonzalez facing LHP Roenis Elias.
KIM STRUGGLES
South Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim's difficult spring training continues. Kim grounded out twice and he's now hitless in 18 at-bats.
BIG BUCKS RETIRED
Minnesota rookie LHP Randy Rosario, who's yet to pitch in Double-A, retired Adam Jones on a lineout and struck out Chris Davis in the sixth inning. That impressed Molitor.
"You just got two guys out worth $300 million. That was fun to watch," Molitor said.
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