The Baltimore Orioles handed the Detroit Tigers a 6-5 loss at Ed Smith Stadium on Thursday in spring training play. Despite Eduardo Valencia's 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Tigers could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Keider Montero turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 2-run ball. The Orioles out-hit the Tigers 15-9 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Tigers continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.

Key Performers

Eduardo Valencia was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Tigers will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.

Carson Rucker added to the attack, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI, Colt Keith provided support, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Trei Cruz also contributed, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. The Tigers showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.

On the other side of the diamond, Tyler O'Neill led the Orioles offense with a 3-for-3 with a home run and an RBI day. Coby Mayo also contributed, going 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. Jeremiah Jackson added a 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI effort as well. The Orioles offense proved to be too much for the Tigers pitching staff to contain on this particular day.

On the Mound

Keider Montero got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits. He threw 41 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.

The bullpen combined for 5.0 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out two. The Tigers continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.

How It Happened

Orioles got on the board first with a run in the first inning. The Tigers responded with a run in the second. Orioles countered with a run in the second. The Tigers struck back with a run in the third. Orioles answered with two runs in the fourth. Orioles tacked on a run in the fifth. The Tigers countered with two runs in the sixth. The Tigers plated a run in the seventh. Orioles answered with a run in the ninth. The Orioles were able to score in five separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Orioles out-hit the Tigers 15-9, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 5,959 was on hand to take in the action.

Looking Ahead

Despite the result, the Tigers will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.