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Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Game Stories:  Schmuck: Orioles flip wild-card script on Blue Jays in opener The Sun 4/3  Mark Trumbo hits walk-off homer in 11th, Orioles beat Blue Jays, 3-2, on Opening Day The Sun 4/3  Extra, extra: Trumbo HR walks O's off vs. Jays MLB.com 4/3  Wrapping up a 3-2 11-inning win on opening day MASNsports.com 4/3  Mark Trumbo on his walk-off homer, plus other clubhouse quotes MASNsports.com 4/3  Mark Trumbo with a walk-off homer as O’s win in 11th MASNsports.com 4/3  Trumbo's 11th-inning homer lifts Orioles over Blue Jays 3-2 Associated Press 4/3  Mark Trumbo Ends Orioles' Opener In Spectacular Fashion PressBoxOnline.com 4/3  Trumbo’s 11th-Inning Homer Lifts Orioles Over Blue Jays 3-2 CBS Baltimore 4/3  Mark Trumbo lifts the O’s with the first walkoff homer of the MLB season FoxSports.com 4/3

Columns:  Orioles' deep roster allows for in-game lineup transformation we saw Monday The Sun 4/4  Orioles' Manny Machado rolls wrist on spectacular play, says 'it's nothing' The Sun 4/3  Opening Day start for Orioles' Kevin Gausman equally tantalizing and frustrating The Sun 4/3  Blue Jays' Jose Bautista still good for boos from Orioles fans The Sun 4/3  Orioles closer Zach Britton finds form with two scoreless innings on Opening Day The Sun 4/3  Orioles Opening Day firsts and observations The Sun 4/3  Game-day experience: Eutaw Street brings the carnival to Camden Yards The Sun 4/3  On bended knee, Manny makes slick play MLB.com 4/3  Miley on track, set for sim game Tuesday MLB.com 4/3  Reflecting on an opening day win MASNsports.com 4/4  In first day as new O’s catcher, Welington Castillo played key role MASNsports.com 4/4  Zach Britton rewrites Orioles-Blue Jays rivalry ESPN.com 4/3  Watch Manny Machado's Highlight-Reel Play From Orioles Opening Day PressBoxOnline.com 4/4  Fans Celebrate O’s Opening Day Win CBS Baltimore 4/3

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-column-0404-20170403-story.html

Schmuck: Orioles flip wild-card script on Blue Jays in opener

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

If the Orioles and their fans were looking for some kind of payback against a Toronto Blue Jays team that kicked them to the curb last October, Opening Day at Camden Yards could not have turned out much better.

This time, it was the Orioles who celebrated at home plate after a dramatic walk-off home run in the 11th inning. This time, it was the Orioles bullpen that held serve in a game that was eerily similar to the wild-card showdown at Rogers Centre that ended with manager Buck Showalter getting pilloried by the national media for not using closer Zach Britton.

What it wasn't, however, was a playoff game, something Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was quick to point out after the game.

"There's one big difference between that game and this game," Jones said. "That was the last game of the season and this was the first. It's completely different."

Point taken.

This was not a playoff game and it certainly did not wipe away the ugly memory of that frustrating October night, but it was more proof of just how evenly matched the Orioles and Blue Jays have been over the past three seasons.

"Both play to the last out," Jones added. "That's a tribute to the makeup of both teams."

The numbers don't lie. Since the start of the 2014 season, the Orioles and Jays are 29-29 in regular-season head-to-head competition. The tiebreaker, unfortunately for the Orioles, was last year's playoff game and it will be a while before anybody around here forgets Edwin Encarnacion's dramatic, heartbreaking three-run homer off emergency reliever Ubaldo Jimenez.

The score was the same throughout the late innings. In both games, Mark Trumbo hit a huge home run. In both games, the Orioles offense went to sleep for an extended period after taking a slim lead. In both games, a 2-2 tie hung precariously from inning to inning as the stress level went through the roof at Rogers Centre and through the rain clouds gathering ominously over Oriole Park.

"They had a lot of similarities," Showalter said. "Actually had the same home plate umpire (Gary Cedarstrom), not that I remember. I'll shut up. It does certainly seem that way. Stay tuned. We've only got 18 more? 19? 17? I don't know what it is. I try not to look at it."

There also were a few differences. Not only did Showalter use Britton in the game, he brought him in to start the ninth inning and left him in to pitch the 10th. In the wild-card game, Showalter did not turn to Britton in a jam in the ninth and then chose to use Jimenez in the 11th when he ran short of setup and middle relievers.

No sense rehashing that now. It was discussed to death for several days afterward and certainly replayed more than a few times in the mind of one of baseball's best bullpen handlers. Showalter had his reasons, but he couldn't escape the most obvious narrative.

There was one other big difference. Encarnacion is no longer with the Blue Jays, and their lineup did not seem quite so imposing without him or power-hitting designated hitter Michael Saunders, both of whom signed elsewhere.

The Orioles, meanwhile, were able to bring back Trumbo, and he delivered big time on the first day playing under his new three-year, $37.5 million contract.

In fact, all three of the Orioles' runs were driven in by the two big sluggers the team signed to rich contracts over the past two offseasons. Chris Davis drove in the first run of the game in the third inning with a shot off the right-field scoreboard. Trumbo came up right behind him and drove in the second with a double down the right-field line.

From that point, the next 15 Orioles hitters went down in order and the O's managed just three hits over the 26 at-bats leading up to Trumbo's big blast. In the wild-card game, the Orioles managed just two singles in their last 24 at-bats.

Showalter took a postgame question from a Toronto reporter, who asked if it was "weird" the way the two games seemed to line up.

"Weird?" Showalter said. "I don't know if weird is the word. I'd say appropriate."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-blue-jays-opening-day-20170403- story.html

Mark Trumbo hits walk-off homer in 11th, Orioles beat Blue Jays, 3-2, on Opening Day

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

There’s no doubt that Opening Day is different from a normal summer game day, filled with buzz surrounding the beginning of a new season, but ultimately the game itself bears the same weight of any other.

Still, as the Orioles’ season opener against the Toronto Blue Jays reached extra innings Monday, there was an echo of last October, when the Blue Jays ended the Orioles’ season in a wild-card game decided by one swing.

This time, however, the Orioles were the team celebrating a walk-off victory, after newly re- signed slugger Mark Trumbo’s 11th-inning home run delivered a 3-2 win in front of a sellout crowd of 45,667 to kick off the silver anniversary season of Camden Yards.

Even though this was just one victory, it carried a slightly different magnitude inside the Orioles clubhouse.

“It’s important,” said Trumbo, who deposited a 1-2 slider from Blue Jays right-hander Jason Grilli into the left-field stands to end the game. “They’re all important. This is a division rival. There’s no secrets. We can’t let it slip away. You do what you can to battle.”

The Orioles have won seven straight Opening Day games and 14 of their past 17 openers.

“I’ll have the windows down going about 5 mph down Pratt [Street] today,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s great. It’s one of those days you reach back for and realize why this is why you do what you do. … Unfortunately, it doesn’t always cooperate with you on the scoreboard, but today it did.”

The Orioles’ front office spent most of the offseason trying get more mileage out of its power- driven batting order. Despite an offense that led the majors in home runs last season, the Orioles were middle of the pack in runs scored (12th in the majors), mostly in part because of a team on- base percentage that ranked in the bottom third (21st).

They focused on getting better on-base catalysts, and also tried to get better defensively at the corner outfield spots. But the team’s biggest and most substantial offseason priority was retaining Trumbo — who was coming off his best season, leading the majors with 47 homers — because he best fit what the Orioles have become, a team that will at the end of the day win and lose by the long ball.

It took a while, as the Orioles re-signed Trumbo to a three-year, $37.5 milllion deal just three weeks before the beginning of spring training.

Trumbo went through a slow spring, going homerless in 55 Grapefruit League plate appearances and hitting just .212. But there was never any real reason to worry that Trumbo wouldn’t produce once the season started, Showalter said.

“Can you imagine me walking about to Mark after hitting [47] home runs last year [when we’re] down in spring training [and saying], ‘Mark, what’s wrong with your power?’” Showalter said. “He’d give me that, ‘Really?’ He hit some in BP. It never even crossed my mind. It really didn’t. He’s really evolved as a hitter. He knows who he is.”

On Monday, under the bright spotlight of Opening Day, Trumbo — who said he prefers the routine of the regular season to the hoopla of the season opener — was the club’s most productive offensive player, hitting an RBI double before his game-winning homer in the 11th.

“Very special,” Trumbo said. “It’s a whole lot of fun. We battled tooth and nail today. That was a great game all the way around. I’m just happy to come through and take us home.”

Last year’s wild-card game, which was lost on Edwin Encarnacion’s three-run walk-off homer in the 11th, was a microcosm of the Orioles’ strengths and weaknesses. Their only two runs came on Trumbo’s two-run homer, and they had just two singles after that.

Monday’s game had the same feel. After Trumbo’s RBI double in the third inning, the Orioles had just three singles in their next 26 plate appearances going into Trumbo’s final at-bat.

“It did seem to have a similar feel,” Trumbo said. “I’m glad this one turned out in our favor.”

Whether those long lags of offensive struggles also have something to do with both teams having strong bullpens — the similarities between how the teams are built are many — but the Orioles’ powerful lineup has struggled to score runs at times when they don’t homer as frequently.

Still, they have a weapon unlike most teams: the ability to win a game with one swing throughout their batting order.

“They have a great team, too,” Trumbo said. “So a lot of things could happen. The pitching on both sides was really, really good. That’s why you see some of these games keep progressing like that. But we have a lot of confidence that, if we get enough chances, we’ll be able to do some damage.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/222084486/os-walk-off-vs-blue-jays-on-trumbos-homer/

Extra, extra: Trumbo HR walks O's off vs. Jays

By Gregor Chisholm and Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Mark Trumbo, last year's Major League leader in home runs, picked up right where he left off last season.

The O's slugger blasted Blue Jays pitcher Jason Grilli's pitch into the left-field seats for a walk- off homer that gave Baltimore a 3-2, 11-inning Opening Day win on Monday.

"It did seem to have a similar feel [to last year's American League Wild Card Game]," said Trumbo, who re-signed with Baltimore this offseason as a free agent. "I'm glad this one turned out in our favor."

The postseason-esque atmosphere was evident early on, and the sellout crowd at Camden Yards was treated to a defensive show by both clubs.

Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista made a diving catch in the bottom of the ninth, doubling up Welington Castillo at first base to force extra innings. The grab had only a 21-percent Catch Probability, according to Statcast™, making it a 5-star catch (the toughest score). O's third baseman Manny Machado made a diving grab and threw out Devon Travis from his knees in the 11th.

Tied at 2, Travis and Josh Donaldson put Toronto in a good spot with a pair of one-out singles in the top of the ninth. But O's closer Zach Britton -- famously absent from his club's Wild Card loss last season -- got Bautista on an inning-ending double play ball. Britton went on to throw a scoreless 10th, as well.

"I wasn't thinking about it," Britton said of not being used in Baltimore's final game of 2016. "I've turned the page on that a long time ago. I was just hoping to keep the score where it was and give our offense a chance to score a run. I did it for two innings, then [Tyler] Wilson came in and did a great job, and then Trumbo there, that's huge. Opening Day, 11-inning game, to come out on top is good going forward."

Orioles starter Kevin Gausman, tabbed for the Opening Day start due to Chris Tillman's right shoulder injury, took a no-decision over 5 1/3 innings. Gausman cruised early before loading the bases with one out in the fifth, on a single and pair of walks. After he got Bautista to pop up, Kendrys Morales worked a walk to put Toronto on the board.

Gausman exited after a one-out single in the sixth, and then Ezequiel Carrera doubled in a run off reliever Mychal Givens.

Blue Jays Opening Day starter Marco Estrada allowed a pair of early runs, both in the third inning, but he kept Baltimore in check after that. The O's, after getting RBIs from Chris Davis and Trumbo, didn't record another hit off of Estrada after Trumbo's two-out double.

"It was different. First game of the year, and you're trying to take it all in," Estrada said after the first Opening Day start of his career. "It took me a while to get things going, to be honest with you. The third inning was kind of tough … but I wasn't making bad pitches. I felt like I had Davis out front, but that guy, any time he hits the ball, it's going to go a long way."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Trum-BOMB: The blast was Trumbo's sixth career walk-off homer and had an exit velocity of 105 mph, according to Statcast™, traveling an estimated 386 feet. The winning homer came on Grilli's 1-2 slider.

"It was obviously not a good one," Grilli said of the 81 mph slider. "Make a mistake and pay for it. This is the big leagues, and there's no more practice rounds. This is for real. He did what he's supposed to do with it. I tip my cap. I made a bad pitch, he hit it out."

Gettin' Zekey With It: Toronto was trailing, 2-1, in the top of the sixth inning when Carrera came through with the two-out double down the first-base line. Steve Pearce scored all the way from first base as Carrera drove home Toronto's second run of the season. Last year, Carrera's first RBI did not come until April 24, but he has an expanded role this season as part of a platoon in left. Gausman was in line for the victory until Carrera took that away.

QUOTABLE

"Doesn't seem weird at all. It seemed appropriate. How's that?" -- O's manager Buck Showalter, when asked what it was like winning on an 11th-inning walk-off after the O's season ended the same way

"That's just another Monday for Manny. He makes those plays all of the time, and it definitely hurts when he does it against you." -- Pearce, on Machado's diving grab in the 11th

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar picked up a five-pitch walk during his second plate appearance of the season. Last year, it took Pillar 60 plate appearances before he drew a walk, but improved plate discipline was one of his main areas of focus during Spring Training.

WHAT'S NEXT

Blue Jays: Left-hander J.A. Happ will take the mound for Toronto when this series continues Wednesday night at Camden Yards. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 ET as Happ will look to build upon last year's success, which saw him post a career-high 20 wins to become a borderline AL Cy Young Award candidate. Happ also is coming off an impressive spring with a 1.76 ERA over four starts.

Orioles: Dylan Bundy will take the mound after a fantastic rookie year. Last season, Bundy started in the bullpen and gave the O's a boost in the rotation. This year, the righty will be counted on to help stabilize the starting staff. Bundy went 10-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 2016.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/04/wrapping-up-a-3-2-11-inning-win-on- opening-day.html

Wrapping up a 3-2 11-inning win on opening day

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 3, 2017

A walk-off home run to break a 2-2- tie in the bottom of the 11th inning against the Blue Jays. Practically writes itself.

Mark Trumbo extended the Orioles’ winning streak on opening day to seven in a row by launching a Jason Grilli pitch over the left field fence with two outs for a 3-2 victory before a sellout crowd of 45,667 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles were 3-for-26, all singles, since Trumbo’s RBI double in the third inning. The offense shut down similar to the wild card game at Rogers Centre that ended in the 11th with Edwin Encarnacion’s walk-off home run against Ubaldo Jiménez.

Mark-Trumbo-white-back-on-deck.pngTrumbo has six career walk-off home runs, the last one before today coming on Sept. 23 against the Diamondbacks. He didn’t homer in spring training and it didn’t matter in the least.

“Can you imagine me walking up to Mark after hitting X-number of home runs last year, ‘Mark, what’s wrong with your power down in spring training?’ ” said manager Buck Showalter. “He’d give me that, ‘Really?’ He hit some in BP. It never even crossed my mind. It really didn’t. “He’s really evolved as a hitter. He knows who he is.”

Showalter brought in closer Zach Britton this afternoon to pitch the ninth inning in a 2-2 tie against the Blue Jays.

Practically writes itself.

The jokes, I mean.

Britton wasn’t used in the wild card game, for anyone who actually forgot about it. Showalter still hasn’t heard the end of it.

None of us have heard the end of it.

Britton allowed two singles before getting a double play and returning to the dugout on nine pitches, and he stranded two in the 10th after a walk and Steve Pearce’s third single of the day. If you’re going to use Britton in a 2-2 game against the Blue Jays, really use him.

Britton wasn’t comfortable with his mechanics in Sarasota and rushed to get back on track after missing time with soreness in his left side.

“He was good today,” Showalter said. “It was funny today, I was talking to him in the outfield during BP. They played flat ground catch. They have a routine all of them go through. He said everything kind of clicked. He said, ‘I was playing catch.’ It was just the environment, the culture of being back home, being comfortable. Those are things that you can’t quantify. How do you teach that in Sarasota? Just the feel.

“A lot of times the memories of good things here and how comfortable you feel, it kind of takes over the physical part of the body. But he felt good today.”

Darren O’Day wasn’t available today because of the flu and he could go on the disabled list if unable to pitch after Tuesday’s off-day.

“Hopefully, not using him today or tomorrow, he’ll be available Wednesday,” Showalter said. “If not, we’re going to need to think about DLing him. I really want to make sure he’s healthy to start the year.”

Manny Machado provided the defensive gem of the day with a diving stop along the line and throw from his knee while falling backward to rob Devon Travis in the 11th.

“Really good defensive plays today,” Showalter said. “Obviously, Manny, my gosh. There’s a part of his ability that very seldom do I have to play him on the line because of his range. I thought that play was a great example of it. We may lean that way. I’ll give him a signal every once in a while about leaning that way with a guy like Pearce who’s a bottom-hand hooker with that pitch down and in, but it’s just such a weapon for us.

“We never take it for granted. For a guy who played shortstop, he’s really ... We’ve been very fortunate to have some very good third basemen.”

Said Pearce: “That’s just another Monday for Manny. He makes those plays all the time, and it hurts when he does it against you.”

It hurt Machado, too. He rolled his left wrist and was grimacing while flat on his back, but he stayed in the game, fielded José Bautista’s grounder on a force play to end the inning and led off the bottom half.

Machado was icing the wrist after the game.

“He’s got a pretty good skin mark on top and that was what I was worried about was how he got it caught up underneath him,” Showalter said.

“What’s better, the play or the throw? Who else makes that throw? Nobody? I see stuff happen every night.

Kevin Gausman was charged with two runs in 5 1/3 innings, the second scoring on Ezequiel Carrera’s RBI double off Mychal Givens. He allowed five hits, walked four and struck out four, and he left with his pitch count at 103.

“It always goes back to your starting pitcher,” Showalter said. “Gaus was one of the keys today.” Brad Brach worked a scoreless eighth before Britton entered the game. Tyler Wilson earned the win with a scoreless 11th, allowing a two-out single before the force play.

The Orioles have won 14 of their last 17 openers and are unbeaten under Showalter.

“I’ll have the windows down going about 5 mph down Pratt today,” Showalter said. “It’s great. It’s one of those days you reach back for and realize why this is why you do what you do.

“You almost feel guilty being down in Sarasota in that weather, knowing what’s happening up here. We look at the weather all the time. We have homes here and very engaged and connected with what’s going on in Baltimore. But it’s a day when you want the weather to be good.

“The birds showed up in the back yard this morning and the grass is starting to turn green and it’s baseball season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always cooperate with you on the scoreboard, but today it did. It was a good game. It would be a lot more enjoyable if you knew how it was going to turn out.”

Everyone seemed to have fun anyway.

“People make a lot of effort and sacrifices to come out here and work around the day,” Showalter said, “and you really want them to go home and it’s a great opportunity to have them feel as good about us as we do about them.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/04/mark-trumbo-on-his-walk-off-homer-and- other-clubhouse-quotes.html

Mark Trumbo on his walk-off homer, plus other clubhouse quotes

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 3, 2017

For the first time in team history, the Baltimore Orioles got a walk-off home run on opening day.

After not hitting a spring training homer in 52 at-bats, Mark Trumbo, the 2016 Major League Baseball homer leader, hit his first of this year in his fifth at-bat.

His homer to left on Jason Grilli’s 1-2 slider with two outs in the last of the 11th gave the Orioles a thrilling 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Trumbo went 2-for-5, adding a double in a two- RBI day.

“Pretty special. It’s a whole lot of fun,” Trumbo said. “We battled tooth and nail today. It was a great game all the way around. Was happy to come through and take us home.

“I’d like to use (it) as a kick starter (to a fast start). It is obviously really nice to build upon a solid outing like this. We did everything we were trying to do. Excellent pitching, all the way around, starting and relief pitching. Excellent defense and a few timely hits.”

It was a game very similar to last year’s wild card game. It went 11 innings. It went to the 11th tied 2-2. A different team was the winner this time, though.

“It did seem to have a similar feel,” Trumbo said. “I’m glad this one turned out in our favor. We’ll take a win any way we can get it. This day is always special, especially for guys (for whom this) was their first one.

“They’re all important. This is a division rival. There are no secrets. You can’t let any slip away. You have to battle because you know they are.”

The game featured another incredible defensive play from Manny Machado, who robbed Devon Travis and threw him out from one knee in the 11th. Trumbo said he is amazed by Machado often. Tonight was just the latest example.

“Each and every day, yeah. Best in the business,” Trumbo said.

As for the spring, when Trumbo hit just .212 with a .269 slugging percentage, well, there probably never was any reason to be concerned.

“That’s for you to decide, I guess. It feels nice to be able to contribute,” Trumbo said.

More clubhouse quotes:

Welington Castillo on Machado’s play: “That was amazing. He’s unique. A great ballplayer. You want the ball hit to him. It will be an out. Amazing play.”

Castillo on the O’s good pitching: “I think they kept the (ball) down and made their pitches. In the right situation, they were able to get a double play. That was the key.”

Zach Britton on the win: “That was fun, right. Obviously, you want to win a little bit sooner. But for the fans, it was a great ending to a good game. It was huge to allow the offense to get an opportunity to score runs. We turned that lineup over and went through that tough part quite a few times. We got out of jams, which is big. Getting on the mound opening day is not always easy. There is a lot of adrenaline and sometimes you are not as crisp as you would be mid- season, so for the bullpen to do a good job after (Kevin) Gausman was big.”

Gausman on his outing: “I was pretty jacked up. Obviously, four walks and 5 1/3 (innings) wasn’t what I wanted. I just threw so many pitches, even if I get a guy 0-2. Definitely not my smoothest start or the easiest. Seems like I had guys on base every inning. They made me work. But I threw some real quality pitches when I needed to. But walking in a run is something you never want to do.”

Gausman on Machado: “I mean unbelievable. You are not really surprised anymore. What makes him so great is most guys wouldn’t get that ball first off. And if they do throw, they are not going to get the guy. To make that play and throw from his knees and get a good runner too, that was impressive.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/04/mark-trumbo-with-a-walk-off-homer-as- os-win-in-11.html

Mark Trumbo with a walk-off homer as O’s win in 11th

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 3, 2017

Yes, there were similarities to the American League wild card game. The Orioles and Toronto, tied 2-2, playing in extra innings.

But a different team won in 11 innings this time. Mark Trumbo, who didn’t homer once in spring training, blasted a shot to left on a 1-2 pitch from Jason Grilli, and the Orioles beat Toronto 3-2. This was the sixth career walk-off homer for Trumbo, who led the majors with 47 home runs in 2016.

This was the ninth extra-inning Orioles opening day game, and the first since 2003. The Orioles have now won seven straight opening day games, 14 of the last 17 and are 42-22 all-time in season openers.

After the Orioles went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position their first two innings, they scored twice in the last of the third to take the lead.

Right fielder Seth Smith led off with his first O’s hit. He drove a double to deep center off Marco Estrada, and Adam Jones walked on four pitches. After Manny Machado’s flyout, Chris Davis was off-balance as he offered at a changeup. With basically a one-handed swing, he singled off the right field wall for a 1-0 lead. He was thrown out trying for a double. Batting next, Trumbo hit a high fly along the right field line that dropped in for an RBI double and 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth, O’s starter Kevin Gausman lost the strike zone, but at least he didn’t lose the lead. He allowed three walks in the inning - one with the bases loaded - as Toronto pulled within 2-1. Gausman threw 35 pitches in the inning, but issued just one single. Kendrys Morales’ bases-loaded base on balls got the Blue Jays on the board. But Gausman got Troy Tulowitzki to ground out, ending a nine-pitch at-bat to leave the bases loaded.

However, an inning later, the Blue Jays tied the game, with the run charged to Gausman after he had left the contest. He allowed a one-out single to Steve Pearce and Mychal Givens came on. After a flyout, Ezequiel Carrera’s double down the right field line tied it 2-2.

Gausman, in his first opening start, got a no-decision. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and two runs with four walks and four strikeouts. He issued more than three walks just once last season.

Estrada also got a no-decision, although he finished his outing by retiring the last 10 Orioles he faced. Over six innings, the right-hander gave up five hits and two runs with two walks and four strikeouts. He threw 89 pitches, 63 for strikes.

On Wednesday night, Dylan Bundy faces left-hander J.A. Happ to wrap up this two-game series. http://scores.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370403101

Trumbo's 11th-inning homer lifts Orioles over Blue Jays 3-2

Associated Press April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Five months later, the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays reprised their winner-take-all postseason showdown.

The stakes weren't as high, yet the drama was palpable and the game was eerily similar.

Mark Trumbo homered with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Orioles beat Toronto 3-2 Monday for their seventh straight opening-day victory.

Trumbo connected off Jason Grilli (0-1) on a 1-2 slider. When he reached the plate, the reigning major league home run king was doused in water by teammates and cheered heartily by those remaining from a sellout crowd of 45,667.

The game was rematch of last year's AL wild card playoff, won by Toronto 5-2 on an 11th- inning home run by Edwin Encarnacion. This time, the Orioles prevailed with a game-ending blast.

"It did seem to have a similar feel," Trumbo said. "I'm glad this one turned out in our favor."

The Orioles didn't place a runner in scoring position after the third inning. But with their power- laden lineup, one swing is all it takes to win a tight game like this.

Trumbo provided it.

"We have a lot of confidence that, if we get enough chances, we'll be able to do some damage," Trumbo said. "I'm just happy to come through and take us home."

The 25th opening day at Camden Yards began in the late afternoon and ended at dusk.

"This is one of those places you don't feel good when they get the last at-bat," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "They are probably the top power hitting team in the game, top to bottom. They can do that at home."

Tyler Wilson (1-0), the fourth Baltimore reliever, pitched one shutout inning.

Grilli threw 15 pitchers, the last of which he lamented the most.

"I just left it fat. It was obviously not a good one," he said. "You make a mistake and you pay for it."

Booed from introductions to his final at-bat, Toronto's Jose Bautista went 0 for 5 with a walk. He grounded into an inning-ending double play in the ninth with the score tied and runners on first and second.

Starting on opening day for the first time, Baltimore's Kevin Gausman gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada also received his first opening day start. The 10-year veteran allowed two runs over six innings and retired his last 10 batters.

Baltimore went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position over the first two innings, wasting doubles by Adam Jones and Welington Castillo.

That trend ended in the third. Newcomer Seth Smith doubled and Jones walked, Chris Davis delivered an RBI single and Trumbo followed with a run-scoring double.

Toronto got a run back in the fifth when Gausman issued three walks, the last to Kendrys Morales with the bases loaded.

The Blue Jays pulled even in the sixth. After Gausman gave up a one-out single to Steve Pearce, Ezequiel Carrera hit an RBI double off Mychal Givens.

WHAT A PLAY

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado thrilled the crowd in the 11th inning, diving near the bag to snare a grounder before throwing a side-armed toss on one knee to retire Devon Travis by a step at first base. He received a standing ovation.

"Who else makes that throw?" Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Nobody."

FLYING BATS

Toronto center fielder Kevin Pillar lost the grip on his bat on successive swings in the eighth inning, launching it into the stands on the third-base side on both occasions. A fan made a nice catch on the first one, and the second dropped from without evidently hurting anyone.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: Toronto hoped to avoid placing RHP Roberto Osuna (cervical spasm) on the 10-day DL, but relented Sunday. "We expected and he expected for it to improve with him continuing to pitch," GM Ross Atkins said. "It didn't, so we thought it was in his best interest and ours to see if we could get it completely out of there."

Orioles: LHP Wade Miley (respiratory infection) will pitch a simulated game Tuesday. He hopes to come off the DL to start Sunday against the Yankees.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: J.A. Happ (20-4 in 2016) starts Wednesday night in the finale of the two-game series. He's 4-3 against Baltimore.

Orioles: Dylan Bundy (10-6) makes his 15th career start Wednesday, the first against Toronto.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/04/03/mark-trumbo-ends-orioles-opener-in-spectacular- fashion

Mark Trumbo Ends Orioles' Opener In Spectacular Fashion

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE -- There was no escaping the storyline. A day shy of six months ago, the Orioles saw their 2016 season end in jarring fashion in Toronto on a game-ending home run by Edwin Encarnacion.

The Orioles have tried to forget about that painful ending and the chatter surrounding closer Zach Britton ever since.

On Opening Day, manager Buck Showalter used Britton in a 2-2 tie in both the ninth and 10th inning before Mark Trumbo ended the long day with a home run to left field with two outs in the 11th.

The Orioles' 3-2 win before 45,667 at Oriole Park April 3 marked a joyous return and Showalter's seventh straight Opening Day win as Baltimore's manager.

Trumbo, who led the major leagues with 47 home runs and signed a three-year extension with the team in January, didn't hit a home run during exhibition games, but for the sixth time in his career, he ended a game with a blast.

"It's pretty special. It's a whole lot of fun," Trumbo said. "We battled tooth and nail today. Great game all the way around. I was happy to come through and take us home."

Showalter spoke eloquently about Opening Day and how much it means. At game time, the temperature was 65 degrees and the fans were in a festive mood.

Longtime Orioles broadcaster Fred Manfra and Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh were joined by Maryland State Senator Bobby Zirkin in throwing out the first pitches, and tenor Richard Troxell beautifully sang the Canadian and U.S. anthems.

"It's one of those days you reach back for and realize why this is why you do what you do," Showalter said. "You almost feel guilty being down in Sarasota [Fla.,] in that weather, knowing what's happening up here. We look at the weather all the time. We have homes here and very engaged and connected with what's going on in Baltimore. But it's a day when you want the weather to be good.

"The birds showed up in the backyard this morning, and the grass is starting to turn green, and it's baseball season. Unfortunately, it doesn't always cooperate with you on the scoreboard, but today it did. It was a good game. It would be a lot more enjoyable if you knew how it was going to turn out."

Third baseman Manny Machado made one of his better plays, a diving stop on Toronto second baseman's Devon Travis' ground ball in the 11th. He made several other fine plays that featured first baseman Chris Davis scooping the ball

"Really good defensive plays," Showalter said. "Obviously, Manny, my gosh. There's a part of his ability that very seldom do I have to play him on the line because of his range. I thought that play was a great example of it."

Machado looked as if he jammed his hand, but Showalter said he was fine.

"He's got a pretty good skin-mark on top, and that was what I was worried about was how he got it caught up underneath him," Showalter said. "What's better -- the play or the throw? Who else makes that throw? Nobody?"

Britton pitched two scoreless innings, though he allowed three hits and walked a batter. The left- hander had a late start to spring training because of oblique discomfort and wasn't as accurate as usual.

"The more innings I get, I think, two innings actually was really good for me today," Britton said. "I actually was hoping he'd give me that third, but I knew my pitch count. He wasn't going to do it this early on. But I felt much better going out for that second inning. That's only good for me going forward."

Kevin Gausman allowed two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings, walking four and striking out four.

"I was pretty jacked up," Gausman said. "Obviously, four walks isn't what I wanted in 5.1 innings. I just threw so many pitches. Even if I got a guy 0-2, it seems like it was 2-2 like that. Definitely not my smoothest start and definitely not my easiest. I had guys on base every inning. They made me work, but I threw some good quality pitches when I needed to when it counted."

With Chris Tillman sidelined with right shoulder soreness, Gausman got his first Opening Day start and could immediately feel the difference.

"In Sarasota, that was probably like a one, and today was probably like a bazillion," Gausman said. "I don't know, it's just night and day different. Packed house, we probably didn't have as many fans in all of spring training as we had here today."

Showalter could feel the difference in intensity, especially when he saw the size of the crowd.

"People make a lot of effort and sacrifice to come out here and work around the day," Showalter said. "It's a great opportunity to have them feel as good about us as we do about them."

For Trumbo, the win was important and illustrative of the team's strengths.

"I'd like to use it as a kickstarter," Trumbo said. "It obviously would be really nice to build upon a solid outing like this. I think we did everything we were trying to do. Excellent pitching all the way around, starting, relief pitching, excellent defense and a few timely hits."

O'DAY HEALING: Darren O'Day was in uniform, but Showalter didn't want to use him because he's still ill. If the right-hander isn't better by April 5, the Orioles could put him on the 10-day disabled list.

COMING UP: After an off-day, the Orioles will host Toronto in the second and final game of a two-game series April 5. Right-hander Dylan Bundy will face left-hander J.A. Happ.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/04/03/trumbos-11th-inning-homer-lifts-orioles-over-blue- jays-3-2/

Trumbo’s 11th-Inning Homer Lifts Orioles Over Blue Jays 3-2

CBS Baltimore April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE (AP) — Mark Trumbo homered with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Monday for their seventh straight opening-day victory.

Trumbo connected off Jason Grilli (0-1) on a 1-2 slider. When he reached the plate, the reigning major league home run king was drenched in water by teammates and cheered heartily by those remaining from a sellout crowd of 45,667.

The game was rematch of last year’s AL wild card playoff, won by Toronto 5-2 on an 11th- inning home run by Edwin Encarnacion. Though Encarnacion is now with Cleveland, the Bluee Jays and Orioles haven’t changed much tying for second in the AL East at 89-73.

The 25th opening day at Camden Yards produced a dramatic contest that began in the late afternoon and ended at dusk.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/mark-trumbo-baltimore-orioles-walkoff-home-run-blue- jays-040317

Mark Trumbo lifts the O’s with the first walkoff homer of the MLB season

By Zack Pierce / FoxSports.com April 3, 2017

The first walkoff home run of the 2017 MLB season goes to the man who hit more homers than anyone a year ago.

Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo got into an 11th-inning offering from Toronto’s Jason Grilli and deposited it into the left-field bleachers to give Baltimore a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays in the opener for both clubs:

It was the first game of this very young season to end on a game-winning home run. Both the Diamondbacks and Cardinals won Sunday on walkoff singles. Baltimore has now notched seven consecutive Opening Day victories.

Trumbo’s heroics came after third baseman Manny Machado made a sparkling defensive play in the top half of the inning to save an extra-base hit:

Trumbo picked up right where he left off after leading the major leagues in home runs in 2016 with 47. He still trails Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner so far this season though.

Plenty of time left. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-deep-roster-allows-for-in-game- lineup-transformation-they-typically-don-t-enjoy-20170403-story.html

Orioles' deep roster allows for in-game lineup transformation we saw Monday

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun April 4, 2017

Reigning home run king Mark Trumbo hitting a game-winning, walk-off home run to give the Orioles a victory wasn’t exactly a foreign sight on Opening Day, though the way the team arrived at that pivotal at-bat, and the lengths they went to win before that speak to a crucial difference manager Buck Showalter sees in this year’s team.

All three of Joey Rickard, Trey Mancini, and Craig Gentry came off the bench and transformed specific deficiencies the Orioles had into strengths that helped them start the season 1-0.

“We’re a product of the parts, and there’s a lot of pieces available that we didn’t have last year,” Showalter said.

Showalter’s deep and versatile bench — for however long it lasts — gives the Orioles almost a National League vibe with their late-game moves. And while Trumbo’s home run wasn’t impacted by it, even his presence in the game at that point was a product of the team’s new roster.

Last season against a right-handed starter Trumbo would have slotted in as the right fielder with Pedro Álvarez at designated hitter. But because of the addition of Seth Smith, who started in right field, Trumbo was the designated hitter, and the team didn’t have to choose between his game-changing bat and a better glove.

What they did do, however, was take left fielder Hyun Soo Kim out of the game in the seventh inning for Joey Rickard. And in the 10th inning, Showalter pinch-hit rookie Trey Mancini for Smith against left-hander Aaron Loup, then had Craig Gentry run for Mancini and take over in right field.

Gentry was running on a pitch when center fielder Adam Jones was up, and Showalter said he would have stolen second had Jones not made contact. While the Orioles didn't score that inning, Gentry's action on the bases helps illustrate how the team changed from the first pitch to the last.

In truth, it was almost two different teams. Smith and Kim are the first-choice outfielders against right-handed pitching, but are limited in their defensive range. Once starter Marco Estrada came out of the game, Showalter began shifting toward a team that was better defensively at the corner outfield spots. Getting a typically strong at-bat from Mancini, who fell behind swinging away at fastballs but stayed back on a two-strike breaking ball for a single up the middle in the 10th inning, was a bonus.

The challenges in utilizing all these pieces will be abundant. For starters, the Orioles can’t carry this deep a bench and bullpen for the whole season. But one question will be addressed Wednesday against left-handed starter J.A. Happ; Showalter will likely start Rickard and Mancini. Kim and Smith will be valuable bats off the bench in the late innings against right- handed relievers, but there’s a defensive sacrifice there to take Rickard out, even if you just pinch-hit one of the others and get Gentry into the game after.

There’s also the question of when to pull the trigger. Showalter could have used Gentry to run for catcher Welington Castillo in the ninth inning. Instead, Castillo stayed in the game and was doubled off first base on a line drive out by Rickard.

There’s also the temptation to use Mancini’s bat earlier, though it seemed worth waiting Monday. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-manny-machado-rolls-wrist-on- spectacular-play-says-it-s-nothing-20170403-story.html

Orioles' Manny Machado rolls wrist on spectacular play, says 'it's nothing'

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

Just when you think you’ve seen everything in Orioles third baseman Manny Machado’s amazing repertoire, he pulls off another miraculous play that makes you shake your head in wonderment.

This time, he robbed Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis of a likely double in the top of the 11th inning Monday with a diving short-hop that caused him to roll his left wrist. But he rolled over and made a sidearm, coast-to-coast throw from the ground to get the out.

He fell back and lay on the ground while the sellout crowd went wild, then joked that his reaction was “eyewash.”

It wasn’t. He banged up his wrist and had it wrapped and iced after the game, but insisted that he was fine.

We tried to locate every single one of America's best pizzas. Did we find your favorite pie? Did we miss it? Click to find out! “It’s nothing,” he said.

Former Oriole Steve Pearce, now with the Blue Jays, was left impressed by the play.

“He’s a good third baseman,” Pearce said. “That’s just another Monday for Manny. He makes those plays all the time, and it then hurts when he does it against you.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-opening-day-start-for-orioles-kevin- gausman-equally-tantalizing-and-frustrating-20170403-story.html

Opening Day start for Orioles' Kevin Gausman equally tantalizing and frustrating

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman’s first Opening Day start was a tantalizing one, with his premium velocity and bend-but-don’t-break mentality both amplified and hindered by the extra energy that comes with the occasion.

Gausman was charged with a pair of earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four but also walked four and allowed five hits to create a few long innings.

“I was pretty jacked up,” Gausman said. “Obviously, four walks isn’t what I wanted in 5 1/3 innings. I just threw so many pitches. Even if I got a guy 0-2, it seems like it was 2-2 like that. Definitely not my smoothest start and definitely not my easiest. I had guys on base every inning. They made me work but I threw some good quality pitches when I needed to when it counted.”

Many of those quality pitches came early, when Gausman routinely was sitting at 96 and 97 mph with his fastball and mixing in a hard slider that topped out around 87 mph. Those numbers dipped a bit late in the game, as he battled to command his pitches around the plate, but even when he missed, manager Buck Showalter didn’t ultimately mind.

“I don’t know if it’s fatigue, or [how the Blue Jays] grind,” Showalter said. “The weapons they have all the way through the lineup, you can’t drop your guard. I’m going to tell you, good pitchers have places -- I think coasting is the wrong word -- but they don’t go with their best bullet to get outs. They save it. It’s a high-intensity-needed outing when you face lineups like that, like you face in the American League East. It wears on you.

“You don’t want to give in. We talk a lot of times about living to fight another day. Sometimes the best pitch to throw is ball four, even though it can get you in trouble. But where’s the breathing room?”

Ultimately, Gausman navigated it well.

He worked around a pair of two-out singles in the second inning and a two-out walk in the third inning. He walked three while allowing a run in the fifth. The start was reminiscent of some of his early-season starts last year, when observers mistook his refusal to give in to a hitter as an inability to put them away.

All of that was amplified by the environment. He said he asked veteran Opening Day starter Chris Tillman about the emotions to expect and entered Monday knowing “it’s going to be tough to calm yourself down.

“After the first inning, it was a lot easier, but that first inning, it was just a roller coaster ride,” Gausman said. “It was a lot of fun. It was something I’ll never forget.”

Even so, it was very different from the sleepy environment the players found themselves in during spring training for two months.

“It’s just night-and-day different," Gausman said. "Packed house. We probably didn’t have as many fans in all of spring training as we had here today. Really exciting, really great to have my parents here. Excited to see them and share this moment.”

Note: Showalter said reliever Darren O’Day was not available after dealing with the flu all weekend. If he’s not able to pitch Wednesday, Showalter said O'Day might end up on the disabled list.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-blue-jays-bautista-0404-20170403-story.html

Blue Jays' Jose Bautista still good for boos from Orioles fans

Jonas Shaffer / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

Adam Jones would've welcomed Jose Bautista to the Orioles clubhouse. But the center fielder was, it seemed, in the minority Monday.

Whenever the Toronto Blue Jays slugger was singled out by the public-address announcer at Camden Yards — during Opening Day pregame introductions, before at-bats — he was subjected to the ire of a fan base that has grown to loathe him as if he were Public Enemy No. 1.

There was perhaps no greater distillation of their antipathy than a fifth-inning chant that broke out as he stood at the plate, the bases loaded and Toronto trailing. "We don't like you," a cluster of fans hollered in a singsong tone. And there was perhaps no greater feeling of satisfaction around the ballpark than when he lived down to fans' expectations. In the Orioles' 11-inning 3-2 win, that happened quite a few times.

It was a day when sentiment around the six-time All-Star, whom Orioles executive vice president Dan Duqette called a "villain in Baltimore" four months ago, was oddly polarized. Just about anyone with an orange-and-black ball cap and a pulse at Oriole Park booed him when given the opportunity Monday.

But one of the Orioles they cheered the loudest, Jones, their five-time All-Star, had before the game taken a more civil tact. In an interview with MLB Network Radio, Jones praised Bautista and said a reunion with the former Oriole would not be such an imposition. That, though, was more out of respect for his fellow veteran than anything.

"First and foremost, I respect the body of work," Jones said. "I've played against him the last seven years, eight years, and to see what he's done in his career with the transition has been, as a fan of the game, it's been nothing short of amazing.

"That part being said, this clubhouse, the way it's been orchestrated, the way it's been constructed ... we accept any and everybody, honestly. When you go against people, you want to get the better of them [in] competition, whenever it gets heated. ... But when you're on the same team, then you figure out a way to make it all work, so I think he would've been accepted in here, just because I know the character of men that we have in here."

The bad blood between Bautista and the Orioles dates to 2013, when Bautista and Orioles reliever Darren O'Day engaged in the usual hitter-pitcher theatrics: some verbal sparring, that'll- show-you home runs, questionable celebrations, retaliatory pitches.

In 2015, Jones told reporters that he wished Bautista had "respect[ed] the game" after hitting a home run in Toronto that Bautista then admired from the batter's box and punctuated with a bat flip.

When Bautista hit the open market this past offseason, the idea that he might come back to Baltimore, where he played briefly in 2004 before being waived, was a nonstarter. "I'm not going to go tell our fans that we're courting Jose Bautista for the Orioles because they're not going to be happy," Duquette told The Baltimore Sun in early December.

They were happy to see him struggle in the season opener. After an introduction at Camden Yards that provoked widespread discontent and sounded like a jet engine's roar, Bautista grounded out his first time up. He drew a walk in the third inning before his bases-loaded opportunity came and went. The Blue Jays brought home their first run on the next at-bat in the fifth inning, but there was some appreciation in Camden Yards that at least it wasn't Bautista who had done it.

His fourth time up, he struck out looking. More cheers. In the ninth inning, with runners at first and second, another routine grounder became an inning-ending double play. His final at-bat, in the 11th, was also the Blue Jays' last: another groundout, more jeers.

Bautista finished 0-for-5 with eight runners left on base, but he did not sign a one-year, $18 million deal in January for nothing. While his defense last season rated as below average, he threw out Chris Davis at second as the Orioles slugger tried to stretch a third-inning single. His right arm saved a run; Mark Trumbo doubled a few pitches later.

In the ninth inning, his glove forced extra innings. Bautista's nearly full-extension grab in right field robbed Joey Rickard of a base hit and caught Welington Castillo far off first base for an easy double play.

When Trumbo homered in the bottom of the 11th inning to end the game, Bautista jogged leisurely back into the visiting dugout. The fans who had booed him were too distracted by fireworks and cheering and the celebration at home plate to pay him much attention.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-closer-zach-britton-finds-form- with-two-scoreless-innings-on-opening-day-20170403-story.html

Orioles closer Zach Britton finds form with two scoreless innings on Opening Day

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

Orioles closer Zach Britton had to rush to get himself game-ready this spring, and left Sarasota, Fla., not terribly comfortable with his delivery. His two scoreless innings of relief on Opening Day against the Toronto Blue Jays weren’t the easiest he ever completed, but Britton said it’s a good start to getting back to the 2016 form that helped him turn in one of the game’s best relief seasons ever.

“I threw a bullpen yesterday and I felt a little bit better,” Britton said. “I felt pretty good out there. I think some of my misses were still a little bit over the plate. The more innings I get, I think — two innings actually was really good for me today. I actually was hoping he’d give me that third, but I knew my pitch count. He wasn’t going to do it this early on. But I felt much better going out for that second inning. That’s only good for me going forward.”

This spring wasn't a typical one for Britton, who only pitched in five Grapefruit League games after soreness in his left side delayed him from starting to throw when the rest of his teammates did.

He was sour about his control when he last pitched on March 29, and had a minor league game and a bullpen session over the weekend to fix it before Opening Day.

Britton entered with the game tied at 2 in the ninth inning. After striking out pinch hitter Darwin Barney, he allowed ground-ball singles to second baseman Devon Travis and third baseman Josh Donaldson before a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of outfielder Jose Bautista.

It took just nine pitches, so he came out for the 10th inning. Britton got two quick ground outs in his second frame, too, before he walked catcher Russell Martin and allowed a single on a high sinker to former teammate Steve Pearce. But teammate Manny Machado made one of his several impressive defensive plays, this time cutting off a chopper toward shortstop, to end the inning.

Manager Buck Showalter said some of the improvement between Britton in spring training and on Monday can be attributed to the familiar surroundings.

“It’s funny, when I was talking to him in the outfield during BP,” Showalter said, “it’s funny how comfortable guys are here and when they get in their environment. They played flat-ground catch. They have a routine all of them go through. He said, ‘Everything kind of clicked as I was playing catch — the environment, the culture of being back home, being comfortable.’ Those are things that you can’t quantify. How do you teach that in Sarasota? Just the feel, and a lot of times, the mind, memories of good things here, how comfortable you feel, it kind of takes over the physical part of the body. But he felt good today. He had [nine] pitches in the first inning, so we ran him out there again.”

Overall, it was a 23-pitch outing for Britton, one where he faced nine batters but got plenty of familiar results. The same story applied to the rest of the bullpen. Mychal Givens allowed a runner inherited from starter Kevin Gausman to score, but after that the Orioles bullpen kept the Blue Jays off the board and didn’t allow a run in 5 2/3 innings.

“Anytime we give the ball to those guys, as we saw today, they shut the door pretty quickly, too,” Gausman said. “We always feel confident giving them the ball. Zach Britton, it’s unbelievable. Every time he goes out there, it’s just ground ball, ground ball, ground ball, strikeout. It’s exciting, a lot of fun guys to watch out there for sure.” http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-opening-day-firsts-and- observations-20170403-story.html

Orioles Opening Day firsts and observations

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

Opening introductions: The Toronto Blue Jays were introduced starting at 2:37 p.m. to a fairly muted reaction from the crowd … until sluggers Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista joined the lineup between second and third base at 2:41. Donaldson got booed, but he was just the warmup act. Bautista was booed so heavily that it validated Dan Duquette’s offseason comment that the reason the Orioles were not interested in him as a free agent was because Orioles fans don’t like him. They made that pretty clear.

Trey Mancini’s first trip down carpet: Rookie Trey Mancini got one of the bigger ovations of the reserve position players as he trotted down the orange carpet. Zach Britton got the biggest ovation of the pitchers, for obvious reasons.

Hyun Soo Kim feels the love: It was quite a different story a year ago when Hyun Soo Kim was introduced at Camden Yards for the first time. He was booed for refusing assignment to Triple-A Norfolk after suffering through a disappointing spring. Not this time. Kim proved himself right by having a solid major league season last year and was welcomed warmly by the crowd Monday afternoon.

Biggest O-vations: The three biggest ovations during the Orioles introductions were reserved for manager Buck Showalter, center fielder Adam Jones and third baseman Manny Machado. Earlier, the club showed highlights of their World Baseball Classic exploits.

First pitch: Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman, who took over the Opening Day assignment for injuried starter Chris Tillman, delivered the first pitch at 3:09 to Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis, who waited until the second pitch of the game to dump a soft fly ball into right field for the season’s first hit.

First dumb at-bat: Gausman fell behind 3-0 in the count to No. 2 hitter Josh Donaldson, but the Jays third baseman bailed him out by swinging at the next pitch, getting himself out on a high pop foul to first baseman Chris Davis.

First proof you can’t play too deep at Oriole Park: Jones, who has been criticized for playing too shallow in center field. Had to go all the way back to the fence to make his first catch of the season – flagging down a 385-foot fly ball by Kendrys Morales with a runner at second and two outs in the first inning.

First Seth Smith at-bat: New right fielder Seth Smith made his Orioles debut as the leadoff hitter and hit a long fly ball to right field for the team's first out of the season.

Captain America gets it started: Jones delivered the first Orioles hit of the season in his first at-bat of the season, slapping a double down the left-field line with one out in the first inning.

First walk in the park: Manny Machado worked the count full and fouled off a nasty breaking ball before accepting a seven-pitch walk from Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada.

First hit by a new Oriole: Welington Castillo got credit for a double when Blue Jays outfielders Kevin Pillar and Ezequiel Carrera allowed his fly ball to drop between them in left-center field.

First Orioles run and RBI: The first run of the season by either team crossed the plate in the third inning when Davis shook off an 0-2 count and lined a ball off the scoreboard in right to score Smith from second base. Davis was thrown out trying to take second and Jones was held at third, but Jones would score moments later when Mark Trumbo doubled down the right-field line.

First home run: The first home run of the 25th-anniversary season at Oriole Park was a blockbuster. Trumbo blasted a long solo shot to left off Jason Grilli with two outs in the 11th inning. That turned the tables on the Blue Jays, who did something like that to the Orioles in the 11th inning of last year’s wild-card game.

Gausman’s unlucky day: Opening Day starting pitcher Kevin Gausman delivered a solid 5 1/3- inning performance, but he’s probably used to finding himself on the outside looking in when the decision is awarded after he runs up his pitch count early.

He threw the ball well and worked out of trouble, but he left just enough to chance to have a possible victory yanked away when Blue Jays left fielder Ezequiel Carrera bounced a game-tying double down the first base line in the sixth inning.

So, what else is new? Last year, Gausman got a loss or a no-decision 11 times in games in which he pitched at least five innings and allowed three or fewer runs.

RISP in review: The Orioles are hoping to have fewer gaps in their lineup with runners in scoring position, but the season opener was a mixed bag. They went hitless in their six at-bats with runners in scoring position before Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo drove home runs with back-to-back RBI hits in the third inning. They were 2-for-9 with RISP at game’s end, but had to take some solace in the fact that no one struck out in an RISP situation.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-opening-day-scene-0404-20170403- story.html

Game-day experience: Eutaw Street brings the carnival to Camden Yards

By Childs Walker / The Baltimore Sun April 3, 2017

Orioles were poised to bat for the first time in 2017, but Tara and Marty Girch showed little inclination to rise from their perch outside Dempsey's Brew Pub.

The Ellicott City couple sipped their beers and took in the procession of Opening Day life along Eutaw Street.

"What's fun about this stretch is you get to see every walk of life," Tara Girch said. "Black or white, old or young. Short, tall, fat. Home fans, away fans. This is the main stretch of the park right here."

She has been coming to Camden Yards since the day it opened in 1992. She met her future husband when he cut her off in the parking lot outside. They've attended the past 19 home openers to celebrate their union. And on Monday, Eutaw Street was the only place they cared to be.

The rains held off, and the Orioles treated a sellout crowd of 45,667 to a tense 3-2 win over the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, secured with an 11th-inning home run by designated hitter Mark Trumbo.

Toronto ended the Orioles’ 2016 season with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning in the A.L. wild-card round. So the opener offered a dose of payback after six months.

It also kicked off a season-long 25th anniversary celebration for Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Fans roared as Orioles, familiar and new, ran down the traditional orange carpet to begin another season. Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, state Sen. Bobby Zirkin and retiring broadcaster Fred Manfra threw out the ceremonial first pitches.

Third baseman Manny Machado made one of the best plays you’ll ever witness with a diving stop and throw in the top of the 11th.

"We've traveled all over the world," Tara Girch said from her seat outside Dempsey’s. "And this is one of the best views we've seen."

Eutaw Street is Camden Yards' vital artery, the place where the city feeds into the park and where the history of the B&O Warehouse meets the state-of-the art playing surface below. It's the park's most famous drop zone for long home runs and the place where many of the building's signature sights, sounds and smells (is it really a ballgame without smoke wafting from Boog's BBQ?) come together.

It's a promenade where kids can sit to have their caricatures drawn, adults can line up to guzzle craft beers and baseball nerds can hunt for the 88 ball-shaped plaques representing each home run that has descended on Eutaw.

When the state of Maryland agreed to build a new downtown ballpark for the Orioles, club officials were adamant that the stadium be shaped by its environment, just as Wrigley Field had been in Chicago and Fenway Park had been in Boston. Incorporating an extension of Eutaw Street — a significant north-south thoroughfare — was essential to that plan.

In Boston, home runs struck over the Green Monster sometimes bounce on Lansdowne Street. But the Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority took the additional step of actually bringing a city street into the ballpark.

For Gary “Toonboy” Smith, who has drawn caricatures at a stand on Eutaw Street since the park opened, the ambience starts with the brick warehouse looming above. He used to stare at the massive building from his office window when he first began working in Baltimore in the 1970s.

“The fact this building has been here so long makes this unlike any other ballpark in the country,” Smith said, sketching all the while. “It’s a big part of what makes this such a special place.”

Eutaw Street always bustles in the hour before first pitch as fans take in the warehouse, peruse pennants and plaques celebrating the best players and teams in franchise history and gather to eat and drink.

About 40 minutes before game time Monday, a serpentine line wound through the crowd to the counter of Boog Powell's outdoor temple to smoked meat. Underneath an orange tent sat the 1970 American League MVP himself, greeting every patron who wanted to share a moment.

"There's the man himself," said Steve Kovalic of Middle River, who was waiting in line for a sandwich. "That's a beautiful thing."

Kovalic attended the first Opening Day at Camden Yards on April 6, 1992, and he recalled his impressions the first time he strolled through the gate and down Eutaw Street.

"I hated the move from Memorial Stadium. Didn't like it. Didn't want it," he said. "But this place won me over in a hurry. It was that feel of stepping back in time. It gives you that Baltimore touch."

Beyond history, meat and libations, Eutaw Street offers a connection to the game itself, albeit infrequently given its distance from home plate. As green and white signs remind, fans must "Watch Out For Batted Balls."

In more than 1,900 games and 138,000 plate appearances, 88 home runs have reached Eutaw Street.

When the park opened, fans wondered who might channel the spirit of Babe Ruth and send a home run crashing off the brick facade of the warehouse. A quarter century later, it seems the feat might have been difficult even for the Bambino.

Some of the mightiest left-handed sluggers in the history of the game — Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome, Barry Bonds — have taken aim, but no one has hit the tantalizing target during a game. Jay Gibbons came the closest with a 420-foot shot down the line on June 28, 2003. The circular plaque for Gibbons' home run is only about five paces from the front door of Dempsey's. So close and yet so far away.

Griffey did hit the warehouse during the home-run hitting contest the day before the 1993 All- Star Game.

For many years, the Orioles reached Eutaw Street less often than their opponents. They simply did not have a left-handed bomber to do it regularly. That changed with Chris Davis' arrival in 2011.

He has become the king of Eutaw, depositing 10 home runs on the street, four more than any other player. The Orioles have hit the past nine home runs to reach Eutaw Street, and Davis was responsible for five, including shots on both Aug. 17 and 18 last season.

Tara and Marty Girch can often spot visiting fans making their initial pilgrimages to Camden Yards, because the people will plod around Eutaw Street with their heads down, searching for home-run plaques honoring their favorite players.

"I love seeing that because you know those are true baseball fans," Tara said.

"It's not so much about the game," her husband said. "It's about the atmosphere."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/222133802/manny-machado-makes-amazing-play-on-one- knee/

On bended knee, Manny makes slick play

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado continues to amaze.

The Orioles' third baseman, well known for his terrific defense, was at it again with a highlight- reel play in the top of the 11th inning on Monday against the Blue Jays. The O's went on to win, 3-2, on Mark Trumbo's walkoff solo homer in the bottom of the frame.

Toronto second baseman Devon Travis smoked a ball down the third-base line and Machado lunged for it to make the stop. From one knee, he turned and threw across his chest, sending a perfect one-hopper to first baseman Chris Davis to get the second out of the inning.

"That's the thing that makes him great," Orioles starter Kevin Gausman said of Machado. "Most guys wouldn't even get to that ball, first off. ... If they do throw it, they're definitely not going to get the guy. So for him to get there, make the play and throw from his knees and get a good runner, too, pretty impressive."

Machado, who had thrown so hard from the ground that he fell onto his back, remained there for a moment as the sellout crowd at Camden Yards jumped to its feet and chanted, "Manny, Manny."

"He's a good third baseman. That's just another Monday for Manny," former Oriole and current Blue Jays first baseman Steve Pearce said. "He makes those plays all of the time, and it definitely hurts when he does it against you."

While Machado was momentarily on his back, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he was initially worried about where the ground had scraped Machado, who took a dive on his arm just to get to the ball.

"He's got a pretty good skin-mark on top [of his hand], and that was what I was worried about was how he got it caught up underneath him," Showalter said. "What's better, the play or the throw? Who else makes that throw? Nobody." http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/222078686/wade-miley-on-track-in-recovery-from-illness/

Miley on track, set for sim game Tuesday

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Orioles starter Wade Miley will throw a simulated game in Double-A Bowie on Tuesday's off-day, and the lefty said prior to Monday's Opening Day that he's still on track to pitch on April 9.

Miley, who was placed on the disabled list to start the season due to illness, is aiming to get up five or six times before he gets into a big league game.

"I feel fine right now," Miley said. "It's just a matter of getting my pitch count in a better position, get it up a little bit. That way, we're not putting the bullpen at risk, especially this early in the year. So to be able to go out there and get to 100 pitches is pretty important."

Darren O'Day, who has been dealing with the same flu-like symptoms, is feeling better and was available in the bullpen for Monday's game. Orioles manager Buck Showalter joked he wouldn't reveal to the media even if O'Day wasn't available.

O's starter Chris Tillman, who is on the DL with a right shoulder injury, threw a bullpen at Camden Yards on Monday and remains on track to pitch in extended spring on April 11.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/04/reflecting-on-an-opening-day-win.html

Reflecting on an opening day win

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 3, 2017

It may sound odd to suggest that an off day is arriving at an opportune time after only one game has been played. However, set-up man Darren O’Day isn’t fully recovered from the flu and manager Buck Showalter didn’t want to use him yesterday. Third baseman Manny Machado was icing his left wrist after rolling it on his spectacular diving stop in the 11th inning.

These guys need a break.

Machado seems to be fine. He batted in the bottom half of the 11th and grabbed one of the plastic water coolers in the dugout after Mark Trumbo’s fly ball landed in the left field seats for his sixth career walk-off home run.

Those coolers are pretty heavy and Machado hoisted it with ease.

Trumbo is 8-for-21 during his five-game hitting streak against the Blue Jays.

Chris Davis drove in the first run yesterday and has 82 career RBIs against the Jays, the most against any opponent.

Mychal Givens let an inherited runner score on Ezequiel Carrera’s two-out double in the sixth inning, tagging Kevin Gausman with a second earned run and tying the game. It also was significant because Carrera bats from the left side, where hitters posted a .366 average last season, compared to .156 from the right side.

Givens retired the two right-handed batters he faced in the inning, Kevin Pillar and Devon Travis, on fly balls.

Josh Donaldson led off the seventh with a single, but Jose Bautista struck out looking at a 97 mph fastball, Kendrys Morales struck out swinging at a 95 mph fastball and Troy Tulowitzski popped up to second baseman Jonathan Schoop in shallow right field.

The game remained tied, but it also was significant because the switch-hitting Morales was batting from the left side.

Pillar faced Brad Brach in the eighth inning and sailed two bats over the visiting dugout and into the crowd. He must have run out of good ones, because he grounded into a double play on the next pitch.

“I’ve never seen a guy throw a bat in the stands two pitches in a row,” said manager Buck Showalter. “Have you all?”

Showalter was furious that an apparent foul ball off Schoop’s foot in the seventh was ruled a live ball and a 1-3 putout. His mood grew worse when first base umpire Eric Cooper ruled that Russell Martin checked his swing in the eighth on a pitch from Brach, with replays showing that he went around.

Martin walked on the next pitch, but Steve Pearce popped up and Pillar grounded into the double play.

I lost count of how many balls Davis scooped out of the dirt to prevent errors, but it was at least three.

Davis did it on Bautista’s 5-4-3 double play that ended the top of the ninth and kept the score tied. He did it on Machado’s throw in the 11th that robbed Travis.

It was nice to see some fans on Twitter praising Davis while also flipping out over Machado’s play. The big guy deserves some love, too.

Zach Britton tossed two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and walking a batter in the process. He was struggling to get comfortable with his mechanics as the Orioles broke camp, catching up after being sidelined with soreness in his left side.

“I threw a bullpen yesterday and I felt a little bit better,” he said. “I felt pretty good out there. I think some of my misses were still a little bit over the plate. The more innings I get, I think ... two innings actually was really good for me. I actually was hoping he’d give me that third, but I knew my pitch count. He wasn’t going to do it this early on. But I felt much better going out for that second inning. That’s only good for me going forward.”

Britton wasn’t thinking about the wild card game and how he didn’t make it out of the bullpen. He leaves that to everyone else.

“I’ve turned the page on that a long time ago,” he said.

Not a bad idea.

As the game moved into extras yesterday, Showalter had Joey Rickard in left field and Craig Gentry in right. Rickard replaced Hyun Soo Kim and Gentry replaced Seth Smith after pinch- running for Trey Mancini, who delivered a pinch-hit single.

“We are a product of the parts. Lot of pieces available that we didn’t have last year,” Showalter said.

“That was a really good defensive team we had on the field at the end of the game.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/04/in-first-day-as-new-os-catcher-welington- castillo-played-key-role.html

In first day as new O’s catcher, Welington Castillo played key role

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 4, 2017

If catching five different pitchers over 11 innings and facing a tough lineup like the Toronto Blue Jays was a test for new O’s catcher Welington Castillo, he passed.

Kevin Gausman, Mychal Givens, Brad Brach, Zach Britton and Tyler Wilson gave up 11 hits but just two runs as the Orioles won on opening day, 3-2 in 11 innings.

Toronto’s top three hitters each got six plate appearances, making if even more difficult for the O’s staff to navigate its way through that game. But the Blue Jays went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base.

Britton gave Castillo high marks for his work behind the plate yesterday.

“Absolutely,” Britton said. “I thought he did a great job. About as good as anyone is going to be the first time catching someone (with a sinker) like that. The swing and miss to (Darwin) Barney was kind of a tough pitch to hang onto and he hung on to it. He blocked a couple of balls for me in the dirt, which was big. Happy with him. He’s going to be good for the team. Not only defensively but offensively, too.”

Britton said Castillo made a lot of progress in a short period of time working with Orioles pitchers this spring. And Castillo is not hesitant to make a suggestion to a pitcher. Even if that pitcher is Britton and the suggestion is about his sinker, one of the best single pitches for any hurler in the game.

“Absolutely. He wants to learn every guy,” Britton said. “Tonight he came out during the game and one time he thought maybe I needed to start my sinker a little higher. That is the kind of feedback that you want. He could see where it was starting when I was missing down and said to aim a little higher. That is what you are looking for in a new catcher and he is getting comfortable with us already.”

Castillo also went 2-for-4 with a double. But he did get doubled off first base when right fielder Jose Bautista made a diving catch in the bottom of the ninth.

Castillo, who hit 14 homers with 68 RBIs last season for Arizona, might help the Orioles offense if he gets off to a fast start like he did last year. In 19 games last April he hit .286/.341/.558 with three doubles, six homers, 12 RBIs and a .900 OPS.

Even though he missed time away from the Orioles for the World Baseball Classic, Castillo’s crash course in learning the staff has gone well.

“I am really comfortable,” Castillo said. “The pitching staff that we have here, everyone knows what they are doing. They tell me, ‘Hey, I like to do this or I like to do that.’ When we were out there everything went smoothly. Everyone is open to talking, so I feel comfortable with them.”

The Orioles led 2-0 yesterday before Toronto scored once each in the fifth and sixth to tie it. But Britton said the bullpen did a good job in holding it right there, giving the offense enough time to get the one big swing from Mark Trumbo to win the game.

“With our lineup, we are one swing away,” Britton said. “Not just in extra innings games. Get a couple of guys on and we are one swing away. Our pitching staff knows that. Shutdown innings are big. Everyone in our division can kind of do that. You know that as a reliever coming into the game. Some of these guys are a swing away in the other lineup and you pitch accordingly.”

More notes from the opener:

* Monday’s attendance was 45,667 and that was a sellout. The Orioles had two sellouts in 2016 - on April 4, against Minnesota (opening day) and June 24 versus Tampa Bay.

* Since 2014, the Orioles and Blue Jays have played to a 29-29 record. In their last 20 meetings the two teams have each won 10 games. This was the first time they have ever played on opening day.

* The Orioles have won seven consecutive opening day games since a 4-3 loss at Tampa Bay on April 6, 2010. During the seven straight wins, O’s pitchers have allowed two runs or less four times and have given up just 14 total runs. They have won 14 of their last 17 openers and are now 42-22 all-time on opening day.

* Trumbo’s game-winning homer came off a 1-2 slider from Jason Grilli. Trumbo’s blast had an exit velocity of 105 mph and traveled 386 feet. Trumbo also homered last October in the wild card game.

* Adam Jones started his 10th consecutive opening day in center field. Those 10 center field starts rank second all-time in team history behind only Paul Blair’s 12. Jones went 1-for-4 with a double. In 10 career openers, Jones is a career .359 (14-for-39) hitter with three walks, six doubles, a triple, a home run, six runs scored and seven RBIs.

* Toronto’s Steve Pearce singled in his first, third, and fifth at-bats for a three-hit game. He had five three-hit games in 2016 and it is his 99th career multi-hit game. Pearce is a .421 (8-for-19) hitter against the Orioles in seven career games.

http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/78360/zach-britton-re-writes-orioles-blue-jays- rivalry

Zach Britton rewrites Orioles-Blue Jays rivalry

By Jayson Stark / ESPN.com April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE -- What happened -- or didn't happen -- last October never crossed his mind, Zach Britton said. Seriously. Not while he was warming up, anyway.

Six months after that famous wild-card game he never pitched in, it was Opening Day of a brand new season. And the world had a beautiful way of spinning Britton, the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays right back to "What If Land" on a memorable Monday afternoon. Thank you to whoever up there was responsible.

We’re not sure how the world comes up with these scripts. But there they all were Monday, reenacting wild-card history -- only backward.

As the late innings rolled around, it seemed all too familiar. Same teams. Same score (2-2). Same managers. Almost the same cast of characters. Even the same plate umpire (Gary Cederstrom). Just substitute that Baltimore dateline for last October's Toronto dateline, and it was totally perfect.

Except that this time, as the ninth inning rolled around, the closer for the Orioles managed to get his name in the box score. How about that?

This time, the guy who hit the walk-off home run in the 11th -- a fellow named Mark Trumbo -- played for the Orioles. So this time, after the Orioles finished winning a dramatic 3-2 Opening Day tussle against their favorite nemesis, their manager, William "Buck" Showalter, could actually grin and observe: "That was fun ... wasn't it?"

Well, it was a lot more fun for the manager than the last time these two teams met. In a related development, it was way more fun for his closer too.

Do we really need to recap Britton’s wild-card game saga one more time? Word of that has kind of gotten around. But if it somehow slipped your mind, the Orioles lost an intense, agonizing, 11- inning postseason baseball game that decided their season last October -- and the best closer in baseball never got to participate.

It has been mentioned to him several trillion times since. When that question came flying at him Monday -- after he’d thrown a scoreless ninth inning, followed by a scoreless 10th inning -- Britton was ready.

"I turned the page on that a long time ago," he said.

And that was that -- temporarily, at least. When the camera crews turned and traipsed away from his locker a minute later, he was darn proud of how he deflected the big issue of the day. Then he confessed the truth.

Did he think, after these momentous Opening Day developments, that he’d officially heard that question about that game for the last time?

"No way," he said with a knowing chuckle. "No way."

He looked around. The media throng was gone for good. So he kept confessing.

"I probably have 20 text messages from friends right now," he said. "So I don’t think it will be done any time soon."

Why was he so sure those texts were already flooding his phone?

"I already read them," he said. "A lot of smartass comments."

Imagine that. These were from his "friends?" What would his friends be texting at a time like this?

"Oh, stuff like: 'about time you got in a game,'" he said, laughing again. "Stuff like that. Or: 'Hey, why didn't you go two innings six months ago?'"

He shook his head. "Just giving me crap. You know."

And that, of course, is what friends do best.

"Absolutely," he said. "I knew this was going to happen the first time I got in against these guys. I knew I was going to hear it -- from either my friends or from the fans."

Was he looking forward to texting them back? He gave the impression that he was already anticipating that thrill -- but not right this minute. He needed to make them twist in silence for a while first.

"Not right now," he said, "but I'll say something to them later."

Transcripts of those exchanges will not be released to the public, unfortunately. But no need. Use your imagination.

Britton's manager has long since stopped answering questions about why his closer didn’t pitch in that wild-card game. But Britton admitted a couple of weeks ago that he and Showalter had what could actually be described as a light-hearted conversation about it a few weeks afterward.

Britton and his wife had just brought their new baby home from the hospital in November when Britton's phone buzzed. It was Showalter, wanting to congratulate them and make sure everything was going well.

Then the manager asked Britton if he’d paid much attention to how managers had used their relief pitchers in the postseason last October, by which he meant exhaustively.

"And he was like, 'Well, I guess I scared everybody. Nobody wanted to get the backlash,'" Britton reported. "You know, just good humor, like Buck has. Kind of just laughed it off and said no one wants to wear it like he did."

Britton says now that he has honestly never questioned why Showalter didn't use him that night. He just knew, he said, that the manager always has a plan and always has a reason.

"He’s never like, 'Let's just flip a coin,'" Britton said.

Britton also appreciates the irony of how the world seems to be much more obsessed with that game he didn't pitch in last year than with all those games he did pitch in -- while racking up the lowest bullpen ERA in history (0.54) and navigating his way through a season in which he saved 47 games and blew zero.

But even with that never-ending plot line hovering over his appearance Monday, Britton swore that when he got up to throw in the bullpen before the ninth inning, the wild-card game never popped into his brain. Certainly, when he was weaving his way through the ninth and 10th innings, that was no time to be thinking about the past.

"No, not at all," he said. "I'm so focused on ... I know who I'm facing. I know who their bench guys are. I'm just focused on making good pitches and trying to get those guys out. Anything else that enters your mind is not going to be any good.

"After the game, you could think about all that kind of stuff but definitely not in the moment."

Then again, after the game, he has all sorts of people who can helpfully remind him of "all that kind of stuff" -- like those close friends of his and we not-so-close media types.

But on a day such as this, when his team came out on the right end of the "What If Game," it was easy to smile about it all. Down the hall, that smile forming on the manager's lips seemed even wider than usual.

Asked how weird it seemed to have this day go how it went, only to have just about everything turn out exactly opposite of how that other game turned out, Showalter got that certain sparkle in his eye.

"It didn't seem weird at all," he said. "It seems appropriate." https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/04/04/watch-manny-machados-highlight-reel-play-from- orioles-opening-day

Watch Manny Machado's Highlight-Reel Play From Orioles Opening Day

PressBoxOnline.com April 4, 2017

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has made a number of spectacular plays throughout his career, including this one against the Blue Jays on Opening Day April 3:

Machado's play came in the top of the 11th and robbed Toronto second baseman Devon Travis of an extra-base hit.

Machado's efforts were not lost on Orioles manager Buck Showalter.

"What's better -- the play or the throw?" Showalter said after the game. "Who else makes that throw? Nobody?"

The Orioles went on the win the game, 3-2, in the top of the 11th on a walk-off home run from Mark Trumbo.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/04/03/fans-celebrate-os-opening-day-win/

Fans Celebrate O’s Opening Day Win

CBS Baltimore April 3, 2017

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Opening Day is like a holiday in Baltimore City. Some people skipped work, and parents even pulled their kids out of school.

The energy and enthusiasm spilled out into the streets after the O’s walked off with the win, after Mark Trumbo hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning.

There were the rookie fans, who’d been practicing for their first-ever Opening Day.

And then there were the experienced fanatics, who turned the day into a holiday.

And there’s particular cause for celebration, as Camden Yards has reached a milestone. This is its 25th opening day and because of it, some were willing to change the rules of the game and keep the kids home from school.

Monday was the only game number one for 2017, but if you missed this one, don’t worry, there will be 80 more home games at Camden Yards before the season is over.

And with optimism at its peak, the prediction for the O’s is:

“We are going all the way.”

45,000 packed Camden Yards for the season opener. Fans will get a chance to rest Tuesday, before the next game on Wednesday.