While Marlins manager Joe Girardi isn't ready to proclaim any starter other than Dontrelle Willis, Johnson continued his strong spring showing at Fort Lauderdale Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Facing a tough-hitting Orioles squad that started Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora and Miguel Tejada, Johnson overcame a rough first inning and turned in a solid 3 2/3 innings.
Johnson gave up two runs in the first, but he finished strong.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander was tagged for three straight hits by the Orioles, with two runners scoring on a Tejada double.
After that, Johnson didn't allow a hit, but he issued one walk.
The Marlins went on to beat the Orioles, 5-2, in a game in which catcher Josh Willingham homered.
"After the first three batters, I felt very good," Johnson said. "I was getting the ball up in the zone [early]. Every time out, I've felt better and better."
In some of his early spring outings, Johnson's velocity was down and he wasn't feeling mechanically sound. There was more life on his pitches Wednesday.
Johnson enjoyed being tested by star hitters like Tejada and Mora. He said he was adjusting pitch-to-pitch with the Baltimore sluggers.
And he was facing a pretty solid starter in rangy Baltimore right-hander Daniel Cabrera.
"I saw him in the [World Baseball Classic], and he was awesome," Johnson said of the Dominican-born Cabrera.
Johnson and Cabrera competed against each other in low Class A ball, and now they are at the big-league level.
"I liked the way [Johnson] came back after giving up two runs in the first inning," Girardi said.
Johnson threw 50 pitches, and he was lifted with two outs in the fourth inning because Girardi wanted to test lefty reliever Josh Stewart against left-handed-hitting Corey Patterson.
