More notes and quotes before Game 1

The Orioles and Pirates aren't allowed to call up a 26th player today because this isn't a split doubleheader. Also, the doubleheader wasn't scheduled before yesterday. Those are the rules. The Orioles had consecutive games postponed due to rain for the first time since April 13-14, 2004 in Boston. Here are the pitching matchups for the series in Minnesota: Friday: Ubaldo Jimenez versus Ricky Nolasco Saturday: Wei-Yin Chen versus Kevin Correia Sunday: Miguel Gonzalez versus Phil Hughes Orioles manager Buck Showalter addressed a bunch of topics while meeting with the media before Game 1. On roster moves and rainouts "Activated Manny (Machado). First game and second, hopefully, rest of the season. (Troy) Patton will be activated the second game. You all know all these things I'm sure. I was thinking yesterday, we've already had our All-Star break. That's weird. I'm going to start everybody today. You just can't go four days without playing, so regardless everybody's going to play today. I try to do that anyway in doubleheaders, but I think it's important today. Manny wasn't going to play 18 innings first day back from rehab." More on Machado "My plans are for him to play third base in the second game. See how the first game goes. I just didn't want him to sit in the locker room. We could have waited to activate him, but I think he's a lot more useful. We would use him in the first game if the right situation presented itself." Why not start Machado in Game 1? "I have my reasons and talking to Manny, I don't want to see him play the first game, sit around for a long time and then be asked to come into a game potentially the second game. I made sure that he knew we weren't going to play him 18 innings. I just don't think that's very smart." On excitement of Machado being back "Ask me after the game (when) the games are over. There's some unknown. It's another level, it's another process. I think it worked out good that Manny had a day or so to get calmed down again. He busted his butt the last couple of days here getting ready. It's actually been kind of good here to take his breath and get settled here in the locker room instead of traveling back and forth to Frederick. There's nobody more excited today than Manny. This is his Opening Day after the All-Star break." On decision to option Steve Lombardozzi "There's no right or wrong, and that's good. Same thing with (Steve) Pearce. In the past, we sent guys out and it was pretty cut and dried. In the last two or three, I hope that's an indication of better depth. They all know. I think one mistake managers or front offices make sometime is thinking that players don't know. They know the math. They know somebody's going. They know somebody's going after Game 1 today. I'd like to say it's tougher on me, but it probably isn't in the whole scheme of things. It's tough. Lombo's presented himself well and will again." On whether Orioles kept Jemile Weeks so they could see more of him "We saw J a lot in spring and we obviously scouted him hard to get him. I'm not going to get into saying this guy does this better than this guy and that and whatever. If a player wants me to do that in the meeting, I would. It's a tough conversation. But I don't like critiquing another player's ability versus somebody else's. What's Lombo hitting, .290, .300? Of course, Jemile's hitting .400 but he's only had two games, if you want to get into that. I think where we are as a club and what are needs are going to be with Manny coming back, just initially J might fit us a tad better, but we'll see. But that's a good tough decision. Two switch-hitting middle infielders. I think our depth in the infield... You look at the year Buck Britton is having at Bowie. I'm sure he might be going somewhere else at some point. He's right there in the mix, too." On move to activate Patton before Game 2 "I know which way we're leaning, but something could happen in the game that could change that." On whether Orioles could go with 13-man staff "I would if we didn't have so many off-days. Right now, no. We can handle the load, hopefully, unless we get into two extra-inning games here. This glut, so to speak, of pitching availability could change in one day's time." On whether he's concerned about Pearce's layoff "Sure, but it does for everybody else that's had three or four days off. Just like Pittsburgh. This isn't normal. We feel like, almost feel like it's spring training. When you're going home with the daylight still and haven't played a game, that's weird the last couple of days. I'll tell you what, I applaud all of our people from ownership on down to making that quick a decision." More on Pearce rejecting waiver claim and returning to Orioles "A lot of trust involved because basically he was out there as a free agent with no contract for a period of time. He had options, he had options to go elsewhere and he wanted to stay here and we wanted him to stay here. It's a little unusual, as you all know, for that to happen in today's game. He likes it here and we like him here. We wish there was a easier way to do it before. Same way with Lombo. We like him, but we can only carry 25. They won't let us carry 26 today, but we kind of are with Patton in between." On whether Pearce is the regular first baseman "Not necessarily. We have some other options. (Ryan) Flaherty might play there the second game. I don't know. We've only got one spot in the second game we haven't made up our mind on. But I think every time in my career I have put two lineups together for a doubleheader, something happened in the first game that made me change the whole thing - an injury or something. So I've got a tentative one. I think the only question mark I've got for Game 2 going into Game 1 is first base. But Stevie's been hitting, he's stayed active during the time. I don't think he ever left Baltimore." On Tommy Hunter's adjustment to closing "He doesn't get into what his title is. It's a process. I don't think we're far enough into it. He's got a lot of respect for the job and he's seen some good ones do it, whether it be Texas or here. He's presented himself well, all things considered. It's a difficult job. And I think he presents some things, I'd present him now and then as we get into the season for an out in the eighth inning. Tommy takes the right things seriously. He's pretty approachable, very amicable, but when it's time, Tommy knows the job description, he knows what he's got to bring. And the season will tell us if he can do that."