Ty Wigginton had three hits for Baltimore, including an RBI single off Twins closer Joe Nathan that broke a 2-all tie in the fifth.

The first three Twins reached against Albers, beginning with Jason Kubel, who singled and went to third on Michael Cuddyer's second double. Macri, batting for Brian Buscher, followed with his double to left.

Kubel and Cuddyer both had three hits.

Albers was vying for a spot in the rotation when camp opened last month, but manager Dave Trembley said before the game that the right-hander would likely return to his middle relief role. Albers is rehabilitating a torn labrum in his right shoulder and hasn't been stretched out enough to start.

The Twins scored twice off Pauley in the first, with five of the first six batters reaching base. Kubel had a run-scoring single and Cuddyer followed with an RBI double.

Adam Jones saved Pauley from absorbing more damage by making a diving catch in center field of a sinking liner from Mike Redmond and throwing to second base to double off Cuddyer.

Pauley allowed four runs and five hits in one-third of an inning in relief during the Orioles' exhibition opener against the New York Mets. In two subsequent starts before yesterday, he yielded only two runs and didn't walk a batter in six innings.

George Sherrill pitched the fourth in relief of Pauley, who allowed two runs and eight hits, walked one and struck out two. Pauley has permitted 22 baserunners in 9 1-3 innings - 20 hits and two walks.

"You always want to keep guys off base," he said. "My biggest concern right now is to make sure I'm still throwing strikes. The walks have been down. I'm happy about that. And I've been around the plate for the majority of the time. I'd rather have that right now than just trying to find the plate, me walking guys. I'd rather have the base hits and ground balls and soft line drives than giving up walks. It's a work in progress."

Minnesota played without catcher Joe Mauer, sidelined with a sore lower back. His medication was strengthened, and he will be re-evaluated in a few days.

"It's about getting him to where he can start working and not come back just ... dying," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's where we are at. Hopefully, this medicine will take care of it."

The Twins loaded the bases with one out in the third inning but couldn't score. The Orioles did the same with two outs in the bottom half.

"We swung the bats really well, other than with men in scoring position," Gardenhire said. "I think we left 8,000 men on base, but we also had that many hits."

Baltimore tied the game in the second with two runs off left-hander Glen Perkins. Matt Wieters reached on an infield hit and scored on Gregg Zaun's bloop single. Jolbert Cabrera's sacrifice fly scored Ryan Freel, who singled with one out and went to third on Zaun's hit.