JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Dontrelle Willis' sore right thumb kept him from hitting Saturday. The big left-hander felt just fine on the mound.
Willis allowed three runs in five innings in the Florida Marlins' 7-3 loss to a Baltimore Orioles split squad but he was most satisfied with keeping extra runners off base.
Willis allowed just one walk, his second over 13 innings in five starts this spring. He issued a career-high 83 walks in 223 1-3 innings last year.
"That's something this offseason I thought about a lot and wanted to work on," he said. "I'm doing a great job this spring of not walking guys and making guys earn it. I can deal with the hits because we can defend them if they put the ball in play but they can't defend walks."
Pitchers for both teams were supposed to hit. But Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez received permission from the Orioles to use designated hitters after Willis complained about his sore thumb. Willis' thumb is not serious and he expects to be able to swing a bat in his next start.
Orioles right-hander Hayden Penn was scratched from his scheduled start because he failed to arrive on time at Roger Dean Stadium. Penn, who drove himself to the Marlins' facility, later pitched three innings of two-hit, scoreless relief.
"All you have to do is make a phone call and you're clean," Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said in Fort Lauderdale, where he watched Baltimore's other split squad beat the New York Mets 9-0. He added that Penn's discipline was "over and done."
Baltimore first baseman Kevin Millar made his first start since March 7 because of a strained flexor muscle in his right forearm. He went 0-for-3.
Florida's Miguel Cabrera hit his second home run of the spring, a two-run shot off Jeremy Guthrie to tie it in the first inning.
Game notes
Marlins left-hander Taylor Tankersley, who has not played in a Grapefruit League game because of a sore left shoulder, said he felt fine after throwing 25 fastballs off the mound Saturday.