masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgFORT MYERS, Fla. – There will be no prolonged hitless streak for new Oriole Pedro Alvarez. He crushed a 1-1 pitch off the right-center field fence for an RBI double in the first inning here today against the Twins.
Alvarez smoked the offering from Minnesota right-hander Ricky Nolasco to provide the Orioles a 1-0 lead during their three-run first inning at Hammond Stadium.
Joey Rickard led off with an infield single to third base and one out later, Christian Walker singled ahead of the Alvarez…

FORT MYERS, Fla. – There will be no prolonged hitless streak for new Oriole Pedro Alvarez. He crushed a 1-1 pitch off the right-center field fence for an RBI double in the first inning here today against the Twins.

Alvarez smoked the offering from Minnesota right-hander Ricky Nolasco to provide the Orioles a 1-0 lead during their three-run first inning at Hammond Stadium.

Joey Rickard led off with an infield single to third base and one out later, Christian Walker singled ahead of the Alvarez double. A Jonathan Schoop single off the glove of third sacker Trevor Ploufe made it 2-0 and Hyun Sook Kim’s sac fly to center plated a third run. That was Kim’s second spring training RBI.

Pedro-Alvarez-and-Buck-cage-spring-sidebar.jpgAlvarez is a career .259 hitter with 14 homers and 56 RBIs in 320 spring training at-bats. He hit five homers in 53 spring at-bats with Pittsburgh last March.

The Twins got two runs back in the last of the first against right-hander Miguel Gonzalez. He allowed two walks and three hits in the inning, including RBI singles by Trevor Plouffe and Eddie Rosario. On Rosario’s single to right, O’s right fielder Dariel Alvarez cut down Plouffe trying to advance to third with a strong throw.

Gonzalez continued to struggle in the second, allowing a single, double, triple and homer and he was replaced by right-hander Richard Rodriguez with two outs. Plouffe’s three-run homer made it as 6-3 lead after a sac fly by Joe Mauer had tied the game.

Gonzalez went just 1 2/3 today, allowing six runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. In 5 2/3 innings over three outings, he has given up 14 runs on 18 hits for a spring ERA of 22.24. He has had outings allowing six and seven runs.

In his second at-bat today, Pedro Alvarez grounded out on a hard hit ball to the right side. With a man on first and against a big shift, it went 6-5 on the scorecard. Alvarez actually tried to bunt twice versus the shift. Once he fouled the bunt and once he missed on his attempt.

The Orioles announced that right-hander Andrew Triggs has been claimed off of release waivers by the Oakland Athletics. The Orioles released Triggs to add Alvarez on Thursday and had some hopes of re-signing him. But now he is headed to Oakland.