Checking in with Britton, Garcia and more as opening day in Baltimore arrives

With a 2-1 record after the season-opening series against Tampa Bay, the Orioles play their home opener this afternoon at 3:05 p.m. against Toronto at Camden Yards.

Right-hander Bud Norris (15-8, 3.65 ERA in 2014) gets the start against Blue Jays lefty Mark Buehrle (13-10, 3.39 ERA). Norris had an excellent record last year against Toronto, going 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA and a .239 batting average against.

The Orioles have won four consecutive home openers since a loss to Toronto in 2010. They have an impressive 12-2 record in home openers since 2001. They are 41-20 all-time.

Three Orioles pitchers have started six home openers apiece. Jim Palmer went 4-1 in those games, Mike Mussina 3-3 and Dave McNally 2-0.

Here is the timeline for today's opener:
11:30-12:30 p.m. - Orioles batting practice
12 p.m. - Gates open
12:30-1:30 p.m. - Blue Jays batting practice
1:30-2:30 p.m. - Field preparation
2:30 p.m. - Ceremonies start
3:05 p.m. - First pitch

The Orioles are starting this season with 19 consecutive games against American League East teams. I asked pitcher Zach Britton if that put a higher priority on getting off to a good start.

"It's important to get off to a good start," Britton said. "But at the same time, if you don't, you don't panic. Last year, we didn't get off to a great start. We had some struggles that first month. But right now, everyone is feeling good. Steve Pearce had a great series in Tampa, was good to see him get going."

After all those years in the minors, catcher Caleb Joseph will experience his first opening day in Baltimore this afternoon. He was asked what that means to him.

"Pretty surreal," he said. "Seems like just yesterday really this whole thing was kind of starting in 2008 when I got drafted. Things kind of happened really quickly once you get called up. Weird that I experienced playoff baseball before I will opening day. Was able to watch four or five (O's openers) on TV before the minor league season started. Now I get to experience it."

Knowing that Norris can be a little fired up at times, Joseph was asked if he will have to keep him calm out there today.

"It's possible. He's excited, we all are. Have to keep him in check. Bud's a veteran and he'll be all right," Joseph said.

Right-hander Jason Garcia was still pretty excited about his first game in the major leagues when a few reporters approached him at his locker yesterday before the Orioles' workout at Camden Yards.

The 22-year-old Garcia, who had never pitched higher than low Single-A before Wednesday, pitched a scoreless seventh inning against Tampa Bay in his big league debut.

"That was awesome, a really big thrill. Just fun," Garcia said. "That run from the bullpen to the field is when it hit me that this is happening. I'm still just trying to carry over the progress I made this spring into the season."

Some three-game Orioles stats:
.185 (17-for-92) - team batting average
.308 (4-for-13) - average with runners in scoring position
3.12 - team ERA
2.70 - starters' ERA
3.86 - bullpen ERA

O's go 1-3 on opening night in minors: On the first night of play in the minor leagues Thursday, Triple-A Norfolk lost 6-3 at Charlotte. The Tides, who began their 47th season in the International League, have dropped eight consecutive season openers. Starter Tyler Wilson, who had such a strong spring with the Orioles, gave up seven hits and four runs over four innings. Henry Urrutia went 2-for-3, Chris Parmalee hit a solo homer and Nolan Reimold, batting leadoff in left field, went 1-for-3 with an RBI. The Tides' home opener is April 18 at Harbor Park.

Double-A Bowie played a longer game on opening night than any they played in the entire 2014 season, but they lost 3-2 at Richmond in 14 innings. Bowie starter Tim Berry threw four scoreless innings, but was pulled after 73 pitches. Bobby Bundy gave up one run over 1 2/3 innings in his first Double-A game since 2012. The seventh pitcher of the night for Bowie, Andrew Triggs took the loss. The Baysox went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 14 men on base.

Single-A Frederick had a tough opener at home, losing 13-0 to Winston-Salem. The Keys were held to two hits and Frederick pitchers walked 11. Mitch Horacek gave up four runs (two earned) over five innings. In their Carolina League debuts, Josh Hart and Drew Dosch each went 0-for-4 and Chance Sisco went 0-for-3. Frederick is now 8-19 all-time on opening day.

Single-A Delmarva blew out Greensboro 10-0 to open its 20th season. John Means, a 2014 11th-rounder out of West Virginia, pitched six scoreless innings of three-hit ball with no walks and seven strikeouts. The Shorebirds scored seven runs in the first inning. Alex Murphy, out of Calvert Hall in Baltimore, went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and catcher Jonah Heim had a three-run double. In his Delmarva debut, 18-year-old third baseman Jomar Reyes, the Orioles' No. 10 prospect according to Baseball America, went 1-for-4 with a single and two runs scored. In his first at-bat in the organization, Cuban outfielder Elier Leyva delivered an RBI single in the first inning and went 2-for-5. Jay Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases.