Joey Rickard and the reluctant curtain call (more clubhouse quotes)

For Orioles outfielder Joey Rickard, it was a reluctant curtain call. It's not that he didn't greatly appreciate the crowd chanting his name after he hit his first major league home run in the eighth inning tonight.

It's just - as he would later explain - not exactly something he would do. But with some prodding from a teammate, Rickard took his first major league curtain call tonight moments after his first MLB home run.

"Yeah, you know. That's not me," Rickard said. "I was just going to hang back in the dugout. But they kept chanting and I gave them what they wanted and I appreciate it."

At first he wasn't sure if he should go to the dugout's top step or not.

"I kind of kept looking around at my teammates to get the okay," he said. "What should I do? I finally looked over to J.J. (Hardy). He just pointed up. I'm like, 'I gotta do it.' I listen to him. He's been around. He knows what to do. So as soon as he did that, I understood. I had to go up there."

It was the latest nice moment between the Rule 5 draft pick and Orioles fans. Rickard's homer, on a 1-0 pitch from Trevor May, provided the game's last run in the Orioles' 4-2 win which completed a three-game sweep of the Twins.

Rickard went 5-for-11 (.455) in the series, with a double, homer, two RBIs and a 1.235 OPS to start his big league career.

"The homer was amazing," he said. "That happened so fast. Just glad I got that one out of the way with some friends and family present. Definitely something special. I don't have much power so I was in a full sprint. Then I noticed it go out right around second base. Just then (I) could slow down, get home and shake some hands.

"This (start for me) has been surreal. Hard to explain. It's everything I imagined and more. (I'm) having a lot of fun right now and hope to keep it going."

MORE CLUBHOUSE QUOTES

Jonathan Schoop on his go-ahead single in seventh: "That was a tough at-bat. He's got some life on his fastball and I swung and missed two in a row. Was a little bit late. So I just said let me just put a ball in play and I did."

Schoop on being 3-0 against Minnesota after going 0-7 last year. Were O's looking for revenge? "No, no, no. It's a new year. Fresh year. We come here and forget about last year, take only the good things and have a fresh start to our season."

Ubaldo Jimenez on his outing: "I think I started mixing all of my pitches after they were looking for my fastball right away. They came out swinging. But after that I mixed in other pitches. I've been feeling good. Not just tonight. All of spring training, I've been able to command the fastball and get ahead and stay ahead of hitters. This feels good and gives me confidence to start the season in a good way."

Jimenez, are the O's starters looking to prove their critics wrong?: "I don't think so. You might hear things about us, but I don't think that is something that will motivate more than just to be out there for the team and for the fans and the whole city. That is the only thing you need."

Dylan Bundy on his first major league game since Sept. 25, 2012: "Even though it's been four years, it seems like just the other day I was doing it. But I was nervous. I think everybody saw that. I didn't really have my fastball command, but it was still fun to get back out there since it's been so long. I knew (Zach) Britton and (Darren) O'Day had done a lot the past couple of days. It was nice they called me in, we were up 3-2. I was happy about that. I was just going in there competing and trying to get three outs."

Bundy, are you a different pitcher now?: You could say a little smarter, I guess, even though I haven't pitched as many games as people would have hoped to. But the mental side of it, being hurt three years, it's not easy getting through that. Staying in shape and keeping your body in shape and keeping your arm ready to go whenever it's healthy. Right now, it is."

Bundy, good to get the first one out of the way?: "I hope so. That's the plan anyway. I was looking forward to getting that first one out of the way now, and I'm looking forward to the next ones."