Zach Britton on yesterday's inning at minor league camp

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles closer Zach Britton remains convinced, along with everyone else in the organization, that he's going to be ready for opening day.

Britton struck out the side on 12 pitches yesterday in a minor league game against the Rays at Twin Lakes Park. Britton said he was facing Tampa Bay's Triple-A team and he didn't know exactly which hitters were stepping up to the plate.

They just couldn't touch him.

"There really wasn't much action," he said after reluctantly telling the media about his strikeouts. The guy is humble.

"I felt good, command was good," he said. "It could be just a mix of Double-A and Triple-A guys. You know how it is over there. But I felt good.

"Caleb (Joseph) went over there and caught me, which was nice, getting his feedback. Most guys don't do that, go over there for one inning just to catch a guy, so that was cool that he did that for me. But I felt good. I feel good today and I'll throw again tomorrow, so just kind of feels like a normal spring now."

Britton will be at Ed Smith Stadium for Wednesday night's game against the Rays.

"I'll do that tomorrow and then take a few days off and do a back-to-back and finish up camp with one outing or two outings," he said. "I think maybe that Norfolk game, depending on the weather.

"The weather's always tricky up there, but I think it will be either four or five if I can get in that game on the 31st."

Britton has pitched in two Grapefruit League games since being held out due to soreness in his left side. He gets the Rays again on Wednesday after facing them at the minor league complex.

"Yeah, I think I'm facing the Rays all the way through the rest of camp," he quipped.

So the Orioles aren't hiding him from one of their division rivals?

"I think at this point they know me, right?" he said. "I'm not tricking anybody."

Darren O'Day, Donnie Hart and Logan Verrett are the listed relievers today behind starter Ubaldo Jiménez.