Postgame(s): Escobar, Graham getting noticed

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A couple of leftover notes from Saturday's two-games-in-two-cities Twins marathon:

— Eduardo Escobar was 2-for-3 on Saturday to lift his spring average to .375. He leads the team — well, actually the entire Grapefruit League, by one over Baltimore's Chris Davis — with 11 RBI in just 10 games, including six in his last four games. He's attempting to build off of last season, when he batted .275 with 35 doubles.

He benefitted from playing in a career-high 133 games, but that kind of playing time might not be available this season as Danny Santana is slated to start at shortstop. Escobar started at second base on Saturday and will likely see time all over the field.

"I'm trying to move him around a little bit these days," manager Paul Molitor said. "Get him prepared possibly to be a guy who might have to move around a little bit to get at-bats."

His plan, J.R. Graham was saying after yet another near-perfect pitching performance, was to make an impression right away in training camp. Coming off a shoulder injury, being a stranger to a new team, he figured he could easily be overlooked.

Consider that impression made.

Graham faced seven Orioles hitters Saturday, struck out three of them and allowed only one hit, bringing his collection of scoreless outings to five, and a total of 7 1/3 innings. And even with as well as he pitched — several Orioles flailed at a fastball clocked at 95 mph on the scoreboard — Graham managed to impress with his ability to work out of trouble, too. The hit he allowed, to Jonathan Schoop, turned into a man-on-third-with-one-out jam when Schoop stole second and no Twin was at second base to grab the throw from catcher Dan Rohlfing.

But Graham allowed Schoop to go no further, shaking off the error to strike out Chris Parmelee — yes, the former Twin — and retire Everth Cabrera on a liner to Trevor Plouffe at third.

"He showed a tremendous bulldog attitude out there," Vavra said. "That situation called for a strikeout and he got it."

Graham was the Twins' Rule 5 pick in December, so the Braves' former fourth-round pick must be offered back to Atlanta if he doesn't make the team. Doesn't look like the Braves are going to have that chance, though. Two weeks remain, but Graham appears to be pitching himself into the Twins' bullpen, perhaps in a prominent role.