Wright critiques his start and spring (Orioles lose 7-5)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 7, Phillies 5

Recap: Mike Wright retired the Phillies in order in the first inning, but Tommy Joseph hit a two-run homer in the second after Johnny Giavotella was charged with an error. ... Chris Dickerson hit an opposite-field home run in the third inning. ... Giavotella had a game-tying RBI triple in the fifth and scored on an Anthony Santander grounder. ... Yermín Mercedes broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single in the seventh. ... Cody Sedlock, last year's first-round pick, gave up a three-run homer to Brock Stassi in the eighth to give Philadelphia the lead, then yielded a solo shot to Aaron Altherr.

Need to know: Giavotella made a nice diving stop and throw on a ball that deflected off Wright's glove in the first inning. The error in the second came after he made a diving stop on Michael Saunders' grounder but couldn't pick up the ball. ... Wright threw 33 pitches, 26 strikes, in two innings. ... Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavárez stole second base in the second inning, but was an easy out trying for third after the ball rolled behind the bag. ... Trey Mancini singled in his first two at-bats.

On deck: Wednesday vs. Red Sox in Sarasota, 1:05 p.m.
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CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jayson Aquino tossed two scoreless innings this afternoon after relieving Mike Wright, and the Orioles grabbed a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth on Johnny Giavotella's RBI triple and Anthony Santander's ground ball.

Robert Andino led off with a double and moved to third on a grounder.

The Phillies tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth on Scott Kingery's home run off Mychal Givens, the former shortstop/pitcher at H.B. Plant High School in Tampa.

Kingery planted one beyond the fence in left field for his first home run of the spring.

Zach Stewart will pitch the bottom of the sixth. He tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Pirates on Saturday in Bradenton.

Mike Wright's best trait today was his ability to throw strikes - 26 of them among his 33 pitches over two innings.

"Yeah, it's good to get out there," said Wright, who worked an inning in last Tuesday's intrasquad game. "It feels like it's been forever. That's the longest I've ever had between starts, but it's fun to be out there and it's good that I was throwing strikes."

Manager Buck Showalter said Wright is in a good place, and he didn't mean Clearwater.

"Absolutely," Wright said, offering confirmation. "You know, I gave up those two runs, but I threw a lot of good pitches and I'm really happy with some of the pitches I threw."

Except for the slider that Tommy Joseph turned into a two-run homer.

"That pitch, I wish I could have back," Wright said, "but I'm really happy with the progression I've made as far as mindset and going out there and executing pitches."

Wright seems to be establishing a solid relationship with new pitching coach Roger McDowell and bullpen coach Alan Mills.

"I'm looking forward to getting out there," he said. "After an outing like that, obviously I'm a little upset, but the support I have from the new pitching coaches, everything's positive coming out of their mouth. It's good to have that and I look forward to the next start.

"It's a real positive atmosphere we've got going on here and still a very winning atmosphere and I think that's the most exciting part."

Update: The Orioles scored twice in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. Yermín Mercedes singled to drive in Joey Rickard, who walked and stole second base. Mercedes scored from first base on Sean Coyle's double and a throwing error on the relay home.

Stewart retired the side in order in the sixth and he's back out for the seventh.