The opening day boo birds and Day One on the farm (updated)

Considering the Orioles only have had a few players hitting, had rotation issues in the opening series, had bullpen issues the last two days and have played all seven games versus the American League East, a 4-3 start doesn't sound real bad.

Yes, that sentence was probably way too long.

The O's rotation had an ERA of 8.38 in the opening series at New York. But in the four games since, it has allowed two earned runs over 20 innings for an 0.90 ERA. But the last two days, the Baltimore bullpen has allowed 10 runs in 9 1/3 innings and has given up four homers.

Despite giving up eight runs and four homers in Thursday's loss to the Yankees, the conversation since the final pitch has been mostly about Chris Davis. This is not new for Orioles fans. We know how you feel - well, most of you. He has taken the brunt of the criticism and is 0-for-17 with 11 strikeouts. Yes, that is terrible, and, yes, he makes big money. And, yes, that frustrates fans.

He got booed a lot yesterday. More than most are used to seeing from a Baltimore crowd. But fans have a right to act as they like - within reason, obviously. The onus is on Davis to stop the booing with performance.

I do think the new regime and staff will give more time. How much? Who knows? But it's way too soon, in my opinion, to be talking about something drastic, like Davis being released. Well, you can talk about it, but my guess is the O's brass is not.

On the farm: The minor league season began last night and all four Orioles full season affiliates got their seasons going and the Orioles went 1-3.

Triple-A Norfolk lost 3-1 at Gwinnett. The Tides were held to four hits and did not score until the top of the ninth on Ryan Mountcastle's first Triple-A hit, an RBI single. He went 1-for-3 with a walk. Norfolk faced a major leaguer on a rehab start in right-hander Mike Foltynewicz. He went 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA for Atlanta last year and was eighth in the NL Cy Young voting. He threw five hitless innings on 56 pitches at the Tides last night.

Tides starter lefty Josh Rogers took the loss. Over five innings, he gave up seven hits and three runs on 67 pitches. Lefty Sean Gilmartin threw three scoreless with four strikeouts. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start tonight.

Norfolk has now lost 12 straight season openers. The Tides' last win on opening day came in 2007, in their first game as an Orioles affiliate.

Harrisburg beat Double-A Bowie 8-4. Right-hander Marcos Molina, 24, signed by the Orioles in February as a minor league free agent, got the start and took the loss. Over five innings, he allowed seven hits and four runs. Lefty Zach Muckenhirn allowed four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Righty Jay Flaa continued his shutdown pitching in the Eastern League with 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. After holding batters to a .155 clip in 2018, Flaa struck out five of the seven batters faced last night.

Anderson Feliz hit a two-run homer for the Baysox and Preston Palmeiro had an RBI double in his Double-A debut. Yusniel Diaz went 1-for-4. Right-hander Hunter Harvey starts for Bowie tonight.

Winston-Salem trailed 3-0 in the first inning, but rallied to beat Single-A Frederick 9-4. Losing pitcher Brenan Hanifee allowed seven runs (six earned) over four innings in his Carolina League debut. Jomar Reyes went 3-for-5 for the Keys, while Ryan Ripken was 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in his Frederick debut. J.C. Escarra, short-season Single-A Aberdeen's team MVP last year, went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Single-A Delmarva won 6-5 at Lexington in 10 innings. J.C. Encarnacion's two-run homer in the top of the 10th put the Shorebirds over the top in their opener. Cadyn Grenier went 2-for-4 and outfielder Doran Turchin was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs.

Right-hander Blaine Knight, the Orioles' third-round pick last June out of Arkansas, got the start and a no-decision. Over 5 2/3 innings, he allowed three hits and two runs on 70 pitches. Righty reliever Tim Naughton got the win, throwing two innings with five strikeouts. Orioles 2018 top draft pick Grayson Rodriguez makes his Delmarva debut and gets the start tonight for the Shorebirds.

Updating with a few more farm notes: I've been told that pitchers Alex Wells and Michael Baumann are healthy and pitching in extended spring training right now. They are being built up innings-wise and both are expected to soon join affiliates and move into rotations.

Also for Delmarva last night, Adam Hall started at second base and Cadyn Grenier at shortstop. Those two will both play both infield spots at times this year.