"It was pretty comedic to them that I walk up there and swing and the ball finds the grass somewhere," Slowey said after going 2-for-2 with a double.

Slowey, who allowed a run and two hits while striking out five, had a bases-loaded single in the first inning off right-hander Chris Volstad and then ripped a double to left in the third to score two more runs.

"That was pretty crazy. He doesn't even hit in the regular season," Volstad said.

Slowey, who had two hits in eight at-bats last year, had no explanation for his offensive prowess.

"The first couple of weeks of camp we bunt and swing in the cages," he said. "You kind of leave that to the guys who get paid to do it."

But Slowey, the Twins' No. 3 starter, was most happy about throwing 48 of his 66 pitches for strikes. He has allowed just one walk in 14 1-3 innings this spring.

"I don't like walking guys," said Slowey, who allowed 24 walks in 160 1-3 innings last year while going 12-11 with a 3.99 ERA. "When it gets to 2-0 or 3-1, I need to be able to make a good pitch. It's got to be a strike. So far it has worked out."

Volstad had his roughest outing of the spring, allowing four runs - three earned - in four innings. He also walked three batters after walking just two in 18 innings coming in.

"He's human," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He was not as sharp as he has been in the past but those things happen in spring training. He's got a couple of more outings. We'll get him back on track."

Dan Uggla homered for the Marlins, his fourth this spring.

Notes: The Marlins optioned right-hander Ryan Tucker to Triple-A New Orleans. ... The Marlins are off Wednesday but left-hander Andrew Miller will start in a minor league game against the Cardinals.