LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tyler Wilson started off the Orioles' Grapefruit League season perfectly. Wilson retired all six batters he faced in the first two innings of Friday's 2-0 win against the Tigers.
Wilson retired Ian Kinsler, Victor Martinez and Jose Cabrera on six pitches in the first. Martinez and Cabrera were retired on fly balls to right fielder Chris Dickerson.
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Originally, manager Buck Showalter thought that Wilson would throw only an inning, but he made such quick work of the Tigers that he came out for a second.
The right-hander, who is battling for one of the final spots on the Orioles' pitching staff, struck out J.D. Martinez, retired Justin Upton on a fly ball to center and got Omar Infante to pop out to third baseman Chris Johnson. He threw 21 pitches.
"Tyler's a reliable pitcher. He's a guy that's always ready. He's in great shape. He's always aggressive, throws strikes," Showalter said. "He's a guy that you're always reaching back for because he's reliable."
Wilson's main competition will come from right-handers Logan Verrett and Mike Wright, both of whom can start and relieve, as well as newly acquired left-handers Richard Bleier and Vidal Nuno.
"For sure, it's a great challenge out of the gate," Wilson said.
Wilson, who was sweating and breathing hard from his workout after leaving the game, was pleased with his performance on an 82-degree day.
"Facing some of the best hitters in the game, a great lineup, that's definitely a great challenge," Wilson said. "That's all the more reason to establish strikes early on. As much as it's about working on your delivery and timing and proving that you command the zone, at this stage of the game, it's also good to be competitive and not fall behind guys like that because that's when they can embarrass you a little bit."