O's game blog: Orioles begin their 63rd season hosting Minnesota

Welcome to the first game blog of the 2016 season. There will be 161 to follow. If you are new here, this is a place where readers comment throughout the game. They react to plays as they happen, discuss strategy and just keep a good conversation going during the game. Welcome in and join in. Don't wait for the game to start and drop in some comments right away if you like.

As for today's lid-lifter, Chris Tillman has started on opening day the last two seasons for the Orioles. They won both games. To make that three in a row, today the Orioles will need to beat a team they could not beat once in 2015.

The Orioles begin their 63rd season in Baltimore here this afternoon at Camden Yards at 3:05 p.m. Tillman (11-11 with a 4.99 ERA in 2015) will pitch versus Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (7-5 with a 4.00 ERA in 2015). The Twins today begin their 56th season in Minnesota.

The Twins went 7-0 against the Orioles last year, outscoring the Birds of Baltimore 43-18 in the season series. The Twins sported a nifty 2.42 ERA in those seven games while the O's team ERA was 5.74. Minnesota's Miguel Sano went 9-for-23 against Baltimore pitching during the season with two doubles, three homers, eight RBIs and an OPS of 1.418.

Minnesota has actually won eight in a row against the Orioles overall. That is the Twins' longest win streak versus Baltimore since they took nine in a row from Sept. 23, 2006 to Aug. 26, 2007.

The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 6-2 on the road on opening day 2015. They have won five straight openers by a combined 23-10 score and are 12-3 their last 15 opening day games. The Orioles are 40-22 all-time in openers. The O's are 41-21 in home openers, winning 12 of their last 15 games.

The Twins posted their first winning season since 2010, going 83-79 last year. This spring, Minnesota went 19-11-2.

Santana, who missed 80 games serving a PED suspension in 2015, did not make his first start last season until July 5. He finished strong however, going 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA his last seven starts, pitching seven innings or more each time. In 14 career starts versus the Orioles, he is 4-5 with a 4.98 ERA and has allowed 16 homers in 90 1/3 innings.

Tillman today is making his 150th career start, becoming the 14th O's pitcher to do that. He is the fourth pitcher in club history to start three straight openers. The others are Mike Mussina (1994-96 and 1998-00), Jim Palmer (1974-77) and Dave McNally (1969-71).