Notes on the sweep, Rickard on the Rays and opening night on the farm

Last year, the Orioles went 0-7 against Minnesota and this season they are 3-0 after a three-game sweep. Last year, the Orioles went 38-45 in one and two-run games. This year they are 3-0 in such games.

The Orioles pitched well and won three close games against the Twins, coming from a 2-0 deficit to win last night 4-2. The Orioles are the only 3-0 team in the American League. Dating to last season, they have an eight-game winning streak.

O's pitchers allowed just two runs in each game and the team ERA is 1.67. The rotation ERA is 1.29 after the opening series with 10 hits and three runs allowed (two earned) in 14 innings.

Twice in the series the O's pitching staff posted double-digit strikeouts without issuing a walk. They fanned 10 without a walk in the opener and 12 without a base on balls last night. O's pitchers posted a 35:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio versus the Twins.

The Orioles went 8-for-24 (.333) batting with runners in scoring position in the series while Minnesota went just 2-for-21 (.095).

So there was a lot to like about the first series of the 2016 season, and now the Orioles host Tampa Bay starting tonight in their first AL East series.

For outfielder Joey Rickard, this will be another important day. For the first time, the Rule 5 pick the Orioles selected from the Rays will play against his former organization. He did not downplay the fact that it will be meaningful for him.

"That will be something special," Rickard said about facing Tampa Bay. "Come first pitch it's baseball, but beforehand I'll say hello to some friends and some coaches."

Rickard said he saw several of his former Tampa Bay teammates over the winter at Richie Shaffer's wedding.

Rickard was drafted in Round 9 by Tampa Bay out of the University of Arizona. He played in 359 games on the Rays farm over the last four years before the O's selected him last December in the Rule 5 draft.

"They have a lot of good young players that were coming up with me," he said of the Rays. "We kind of became good friends and brought the best out of each other in a competitive way. To this day, we still root each on and that goes a long way."

Last night, Rickard got his first career major league curtain call moments after hitting his first homer in the eighth inning. His former Rays teammates will find him doing quite well in Baltimore, batting .455 (5-for-11) with a double, a homer and two RBIs. He went 5-for-9 (.556) against right-handed pitchers in the Twins series.

On the farm: Three of the four O's minor league affiliates lost their season openers last night. Gwinnett beat Triple-A Norfolk 2-0. Christian Walker went 2-for-3 and Dariel Alvarez 2-for-4 as the Tides lost their season opener for the ninth straight year.

Akron beat Double-A Bowie 5-2. Trey Mancini went 1-for-4 and drove in both Baysox runs. Starter Joe Gunkel allowed two runs and seven hits over five innings.

Single-A Frederick lost 5-2 at Myrtle Beach. Outfielder Jay Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. In his Carolina League debut, reliever Tanner Scott pitched two perfect innings with no strikeouts on just 16 pitches, 13 strikes.

Single-A Delmarva blanked Hagerstown 4-0 as right-hander Lucas Long and three relievers teamed on a three-hitter. Long threw six scoreless innings on just 64 pitches. Garrett Cleavinger went two innings to get the win. Ademar Rifaela hit a two-run double and Ryan Mountcastle hit his first South Atlantic League homer with a two-run shot in the ninth inning.