By Dan Connolly The Baltimore Sun Baltimore Sun

12:35 p.m. AKST, March 6, 2013

The Orioles took a break from their exhibition schedule to play a true exhibition game – one in which the stats don’t count in Grapefruit League action – against Spain's World Baseball Classic team on Wednesday afternoon.

Russ Canzler may petition the league office to let this one count.

In the Orioles 19-7 victory, Canzler, who is fighting for a reserve role, put up some gaudy numbers. He hit two homers – a three-run shot in the first and a two-run homer in the fourth -- and added a sacrifice fly – for six RBIs. Travis Ishikawa also homered in the game, which included a nine-run Orioles’ sixth against a Spain team with only two players on a 40-man major league roster.

Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta, pitching in his third spring game, allowed three hits and one unearned run in three innings. He walked one and struck out two while throwing a fairly economical 45 pitches (27 strikes). It was a big improvement on his last outing in which he allowed three runs in 1 2/3 against the New York Yankees.

“Sometimes throughout the week before a start, a light bulb will go off. Whether it’s something small mechanically in the bullpen or something you are doing on a certain pitch to kind of help you progress and be more consistent with that pitch,” said Arrieta, who is fighting for a rotation spot. “And that’s happened over the past couple bullpens. I’ve had two real good sides leading into this game. So, things are really starting to tighten up.”

Orioles relievers Luis Ayala, Darren O’Day and Jim Johnson all pitched in a game for the first time this spring, each going one inning. Pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez also made his 2013 debut.