Pedro Alvarez trying to join the hit party in Baltimore (O's win in 10th)

Before the clubhouse opened to the media today and before the Orioles took batting practice, Pedro Alvarez performed drills at first base to sharpen his footwork and skills at digging throws out of the dirt.

The Orioles set up a JUGS machine at the shortstop position and launched the ball across the infield, some reaching his glove on the fly and some short-hopping him.

Alvarez also is focused on his offense, a 4-for-28 start leaving his average at .143 heading into tonight's game. He's drawn seven walks and struck out six times.

"He's been close," said manager Buck Showalter. "John Russell knows him real well. Had him when he first came there (Pittsburgh) out of the draft. He said when it's good, it's fun to watch. He said you're going to go through some times when it's not quite there. I think he's getting close to having those times behind him.

"It would mean a lot. You're never going to have all nine. You'd like to have when someone starts kind of cooling off a little bit, somebody who hadn't been kind of picks up there, and I'm thinking Pete has a chance to be one of those guys. He's close, he's close. That's what they say and he says."

Alvarez didn't sign with the Orioles until March 10, but he received 43 at-bats in Grapefruit League games and plenty more at the minor league complex.

"That would be a convenient excuse. He wouldn't use it," Showalter said.

"He had a lot of at-bats. It didn't help, but the thing I was more concerned about was the adjustment to a new organization, new team, new spring training, new city. That was a challenge, which sometimes affects you physically. But he's a real mature, smart guy. It would be pretty picky to use that as an excuse and I know he wouldn't. He's going to be a little streaky here and there and when he gets it going, it'll be fun to watch."

Interleague play removes some of the mystery, but Alvarez still is adjusting to unfamiliar pitchers like the Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman, who started last night in a 4-3 win over the Orioles.

"There's a little bit of that," Showalter said. "I see the matchups all the time and we've faced a lot of guys he's never seen before. He's never seen Stroman before. I'm surprised that there were a couple other guys who have never seen him before. That's hard, especially with a guy who has that much movement."

Alvarez, batting eighth to start a game for the third time this season and the fifth time in his career, also is subjected to comparisons to Mark Trumbo, another newcomer who began tonight batting .383/.420/.723 with five home runs and 11 RBIs.

Trumbo was named co-Player of the Week in the American League. Alvarez, with a hit in four of his last five games, would settle right now for one big night.

"I will say this, he's leading our club, he's had five hits taken away with the shift. Maybe six now. But that shift ain't going away," Showalter said.

"I think you want something too much. He's DHing for the first time straight through and that's been a challenge, I'm sure. That's why I hate having the DH wait sometimes until the third inning until they get into the flow of a game.

"That's one thing I don't like about our batting order. I'd like to have him higher so he doesn't have to sit around two or three innings until he gets in the flow of the game. That's not good business. I thought about moving him up to the two hole tonight just to get him in the flow of the game early, but the knuckleball doesn't get much easier."

Joey Rickard faced R.A. Dickey for the first time tonight and led off with an infield hit. He scored from first base on Manny Machado's double to left-center field, giving the Orioles a quick 1-0 lead.

Machado extended his hitting streak to 13 games and raised his average to .404.

Adam Jones walked and Machado scored on Chris Davis' single off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. Jones scored on Trumbo's double-play grounder to increase the lead to 3-0.

Ubaldo Jimenez escaped a second-and-third, one-out jam in the top of the first inning by catching Edwin Encarnacion's liner up the middle and doubling off Michael Saunders at third base. Jose Bautista singled with one out, making him 3-for-31 against Jimenez.

Update: Jimenez has thrown 70 pitches in three innings, but he leads 3-1.

He's put the leadoff hitter on base in every inning. He almost escaped another jam in the third, but Encarnacion's ground ball with two outs glanced off Machado's glove for an RBI single.

Update II: Jimenez allowed two runs and five hits in five innings, with four walks, six strikeouts and Josh Donaldson's solo home run. He threw 110 pitches, 65 for strikes.

Brad Brach is warming.

Update III: The Jays scored a run off Brach with two outs in the seventh to tie the game 3-3. He hadn't allowed a run this season in 8 1/3 innings before the inning.

Adam Jones made a diving catch in right-center field to rob Jose Bautista and produce the second out. Michael Saunders misread the ball and failed to score from third base, taking a few steps back to tag up. However, Encarnacion followed with a double to left.

Update IV: Caleb Joseph doubled off Rule 5 pick Joe Biagini with two outs in the 10th and scored on a passed ball to give the Orioles a 4-3 win.

Joey Rickard reached on an infield hit and Manny Machado walked. With Adam Jones at the plate, Biagini's pitch scooted past catcher Josh Thole.

The Orioles improve to 9-4.