Orioles hit 9 home runs, including a grand slam by Holliday, in 2 split-squad games against Toronto; Opening Day starter Burnes allows 5 runs while working on cutter

SARASOTA, Florida-What’s happening?-Julio Teheran will start for the Orioles when they play the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Monday at 1:05 p.m.

Signed as a minor league free agent on February 28^th, the 33-year-old Teheran has thrown three hitless innings, walking one and striking out two. He pitched two innings in his other start on March 6^th against Pittsburgh.

The game will be shown on MASN with Geoff Arnold and Dave Johnson.

Will Warren will start for the Yankees.

The Orioles added shortstop Luis Valdez to their Spring Breakout roster. The game will be played on Thursday night at 7:05 at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida.

What’s happened? Opening Day starter Corbin Burnes allowed five runs on six hits in three-plus innings as the Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays played to a 6-6 tie in one of two split-squad games between the teams before 6.707 at Ed Smith Stadium on Sunday.

Burnes gave up a three-run home run to Ernie Clement in the third inning and a two-run home run to Brian Serven in the fourth. Manager Brandon Hyde removed him with two outs in the third to help preserve his pitch count. Burnes, who walked one and struck out two, has a spring training earned-run average of 12.71. He threw 61 pitches.

“Today we were still working on the cutter,” Burnes said. “I threw a ton of cutters in the last inning. I think every pitch was a cutter. I’m just trying to find the consistency, the command of it. The first two innings were great, trying to locate to both sides of the plate. Fell behind a couple of hitters but were able to get back into it and got some quick outs in the first two innings and then just lost the feel for it the last two.

“Offspeed is in a great spot, which is very encouraging. It’s just getting the command of the cutter. It’s close. It’s one of those things that we feel in the bullpens. We feel early on. It’s just keeping that consistency and being able to do it for 100-plus pitches.”

Hyde isn’t bothered by Burnes’ line.

“I don’t put any stock in the results, especially with someone like him,” Hyde said. “He was working on a lot of things, especially that last inning. We got him over 60 pitches and out there four times. That was awesome, feels good coming out. These next couple of weeks guys are working on things, especially guys who are going to be on the club. He had a couple of things he wanted to work on today. I thought he came off the mound healthy and threw the ball well.”

Dillon Tate allowed a hit in a scoreless inning, his fourth of the spring.

Adley Rutschman homered and singled as the designated hitter and was removed after the third-inning single.

Colton Cowser hit a two-run home run in the third, his fourth. James McCann homered in the fourth and Ramón Urías homered in the sixth.

Jackson Holliday hit a grand slam, his first Grapefruit League home run, and Anthony Santander hit two homers and drove in four runs as the Orioles defeated Toronto, 11-6, before 6,215 at TD Ballpark in Dunedin in the other split-squad game.

Holliday’s homer came in the first inning. Santander had a three-run home run in the fourth and a solo shot in the first. Centerfielder Ryan McKenna and catcher Michael Pérez also homered.

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson and leftfielder Heston Kjerstad each had two hits.

Albert Suárez allowed three runs on five hits in four innings in his second start, striking out four. The 34-year-old right-hander has struck out 13 in nine innings.

Pitching prospect Chayce McDermott recorded the save, pitching three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, striking out six and walking one.

What’s up with?—Errol Robinson was formally given an invitation to major league spring training last week after regularly being brought over from minor league camp as an extra infielder.

“It’s official now, so excited about it,” Robinson said.

Robinson had been dressing in the auxiliary clubhouse, which is off limits to the media, but he was assigned a locker in the main clubhouse on Sunday.

“You’re one step closer,” Robinson said. “It’s nice to get some [at-bats] in game action. It’s nice to have dudes who are making decisions be able to see you every night, consistently back half part of the game. That would be my role, anyway as a player on the team, coming off the bench.”

The 29-year-old infielder, a native of Boyds, Maryland in Montgomery County, is batting .385 with a .964 OPS in 13 games this spring.  Robinson was signed to a minor league contract in January and is pleased to have gotten into so many games.

“I’m a bit surprised,” Robinson said. “I don’t feel like I don’t belong here …I ’d love to get a start in or two. I think that would be pretty fun as well.”

What’s what?- For the first time in memory, the Orioles and Blue Jays played each other in a pair of split-squad games, and the team playing on the road usually has the weaker lineup. In this case, Holliday, Henderson, Santander, Kjerstad, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo and Connor Norby were among those who played in Dunedin.

What’s the word? “Five-plus innings each time out the next two to make sure I’m in a good spot for Opening Day. We’re really close with the cutter. A couple of good weeks left of work, and we’re in a good spot.”-Burnes on what he’s looking for in his final two spring starts.

What’s the number? 9. The Orioles hit nine home runs in two games on Sunday.

“We have guys who can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Hyde said. “We’re pretty athletic and can run, also. I like the mix that we have. We have guys that are going to hit with some power and hit with some power in the future. It’s an exciting group of offensive guys.”

What’s the record?  14-2-1. The Orioles will play the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa at 1:05 p.m.