Orioles' winless streak reaches 11 with 4-4 tie vs Yankees

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) Adam Jones hit an opposite-field home run to right-center for the Baltimore Orioles, whose winless streak in spring training reached 11 with a 4-4 tie against a New York Yankees' split squad on Thursday.

Baltimore fell to 0-9-2 and is the only big league team without a spring training win this year.

Starlin Castro had three hits and three RBIs for the Yankees: an RBI double that scored Jacoby Ellsbury and a two-run single.

Bryan Mitchell allowed four hits, including Jones' home run, in three innings.

The Orioles' Tyler Wilson allowed two runs and five hits in three innings.

South Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim reached base for the first two times. He was hit by a pitch in the fourth and reached on an infield single in the seventh that scored the first of three runs that tied the score at 4.

Kim is now 1 for 24.

STARTING TIME:

Yankees: Mitchell, competing for a spot as the long man in the bullpen, allowed a run for the first time this spring training. He pitched two scoreless innings in his first start.

''It's my second start. No excuses, but we're all still working on some things,'' Mitchell said.

Orioles: Wilson has given up four runs in six innings over three starts.

''As the spring goes on, your game kind of evolves a little bit. Fastball command is the most important thing in pitching, so the first couple outings, first couple bullpens, that's the priority,'' Wilson said. ''As you start feeling a little more confident with that on both sides of the plate, up and down, and start mixing in the other stuff but you really don't have anything. Everything comes off that fastball.''

TRAINER'S ROOM:

Yankees: Castro played shortstop for the first time this spring training, three days after he had a root canal. Castro, who normally plays second base, has been told by manager Joe Girardi he won't likely play third base.

''We want to make sure he's comfortable at second,'' Girardi said. ''As of right now, he is probably our backup shortstop unless something happens.''

Castro didn't object to the decision. He took some ground balls at third early in camp, but he has been primarily a shortstop in his career.

''It's my natural position,'' Castro said. ''I'm going to be back on shortstop if Didi (Gregorius) needs a day off.''

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman, who threw two scoreless innings in a ''B'' game against Pittsburgh on Thursday morning, said that the strained right hip flexor that caused him to miss his first start, said that he feels he'll be able to open the season on time.

''In the back of my head I'm thinking I have to catch up, but I don't think there's much catching up to do,'' Tillman said.

UP NEXT:

Yankees: Will host the Orioles on Friday with RHP Masahiro Tanaka pitching for the second time. He threw two scoreless innings in his first start.

Orioles: RHP Mike Wright will start for the third time. Wright has allowed two runs in four innings.