Chris Davis on his opposite-field home runs

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are back home today to play the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium, where they've sold out seven of the eight games.

Chris Tillman makes his third start, but only the second in a Grapefruit League game. He tossed three scoreless innings against the Puerto Rico Development Program, which didn't appear to have a player more than five feet tall.

Tillman really was challenged to keep the ball down.

Matt Wieters won't be catching today. He won't be serving as the designated hitter. And he won't be updating reporters on his elbow tendinitis. The clubhouse is closed to the media until after the game because of a Major League Baseball Players Association meeting that begins at 8 a.m.

Union head Tony Clark will speak with reporters after the meeting. Maybe he can update us on Wieters' elbow.

Chris Davis will start at first base or in right field. He's tied with Steve Pearce for the team lead with three home runs and is first in RBIs with 10.

The last two Davis home runs have been driven to the opposite field, power that was missing last season while he played with an oblique injury.

"That was something that I was excited to see because early on in camp I still had a little bit of doubt in my mind whether I was completely healthy," Davis said. "You want to see the result, you want to feel that old feeling of being able to go the other way. The last couple of weeks, I feel like I've really driven the ball well to the opposite field and it's good to feel that and to see the difference.

"That just killed me last year because I'm missing those pitches away or rolling them over, hitting them into the shift. Wasn't able to drive them and it just completely got me out of my game."

Here comes the cliched question that surfaces every spring. Is Davis where he wants to be at this stage of camp?

"I think I'm close," he replied. "I feel good at the plate and I feel pretty comfortable. I think you're starting to get to the point where you can see the starting pitcher a couple times. You're not facing a new arm every time you get in there.

"I still think I'm a couple weeks away, like most guys are. If we started the season tomorrow, I'd be ready, but I would like to have a few more at-bats before we head out."