BALTIMORE — Taking light batting practice in Sarasota was supposed to be an important step in the return of Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, but it instead created more uncertainty regarding his status moving forward.

Complaining that the back of his knee didn’t feel right as he attempted to take swings, the 35-year-old infielder will see knee specialist Dr. Daniel Cooper in Dallas to get a second opinion on his recovery from a torn tendon suffered behind his right knee. Dr. Cooper is the same specialist who cared for Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria when the All-Star infielder suffered a hamstring injury last season.

“He started taking some batting practice and just didn’t like the way it felt,” said manager Buck Showalter, who supported Roberts’ request for a second opinion. “He said he wasn’t expecting that with the progression that we’ve done, and I think he’s just a little frustrated that it hasn’t come faster.”

The original prognosis for a return was three to four weeks after Roberts injured his knee sliding into second base on April 4 at Tropicana Field. The club has officially labeled the injury a right hamstring strain, but Roberts actually tore the tendon behind his knee.

In Roberts’ absence, the club has used a second-base platoon of Ryan Flaherty and Alexi Casilla that’s provided little offensive production as Flaherty is hitting just .125 and Casilla is sitting at .200. After previously hesitating to place Roberts on the 60-day disabled list, which would officially keep him off the big-league roster until early June, it now appears the Orioles wouldn’t hesitate to make the move should a roster need arise elsewhere.

The new development also makes you wonder if executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette will look more carefully outside the organization for help at second base, but Showalter is publicly remaining optimistic until Dr. Cooper provides answers that might suggest otherwise in regards to Roberts being a likely candidate for the 60-day DL.

“No more than he was before,” Showalter said. “I’m not looking at it that way. I’m still holding out hope that this will get going. I like the fact that we don’t have a need for it yet.”

Wait-and-see mode with Gonzalez

The Orioles won’t know when right-handed pitcher Miguel Gonzalez will make his next start until he completes his bullpen day on Thursday to determine how well the blister on his right thumb has healed.

Gonzalez will cover the area with a bandage during his workday, but the pitcher isn’t allowed to wear as much as a Band-Aid on his finger when throwing in a game. The earlier Gonzalez would be ready to pitch is likely Saturday with his bullpen day falling on the final day of the Kansas City series.

Showalter isn’t ruling out the possibility of Gonzalez being skipped in the rotation entirely if the blister continues to be an issue.

“It’s getting better,” Showalter said. “It’s a blister underneath a callous. It’s kind of good in a way that it broke, tore off — whatever you want to say — so we’ve gotten all the way down to the bottom. Now, it’s a matter of getting [it] calloused over.”

Thursday would have been Gonzalez’s normal turn in the starting rotation, but veteran Freddy Garcia will instead take the hill against former Orioles Jeremy Guthrie in the series finale against the Royals.

Odds & ends

Shortstop J.J. Hardy received an injection in his right elbow from Dr. Lewis Yocum in Anaheim over the weekend for a case of mild tennis elbow, according to Showalter. It is not considered a big deal. … Starter Jason Hammel picked up his fifth win on Sunday to begin the year 5-1. According to Elias, with a win in his next decision, Hammel will become the first Orioles pitcher to go 6-1 or better to start consecutive seasons since Mike Boddicker, who started 6-1 in 1985 and 10-1 in 1986. … The Orioles have made just one error in the last 10 games and three in the last 17 games. … The Orioles (0-for-9) and Royals (1-for-10) are batting a combined .053 as pinch-hitters. … Baltimore has eight players with three or more home runs, the most for any American League team. Cleveland and Oakland are tied for second with six each. The Chicago Cubs lead the majors with nine players having three or more homers.

(Updated: 6:25 p.m.)

Orioles manager Buck Showalter reacted how you’d expect him to following Friday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels in which first baseman Chris Davis left the game with a right knee injury.

But he had to breathe a sign of relief on Saturday as Davis is likely to avoid the disabled list, according to executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette in several reports. Team doctors won’t see the results until the Orioles return to Baltimore following the road trip, but Angels team doctors provide a favorable prognosis after looking at results from a Saturday MRI.

Davis is considered day-to-day and wasn’t in the lineup on Saturday as Steve Pearce took his place.

Showalter was optimistic Friday night while pointing to the slew of injuries the club has already endured over the last two seasons, but you just know the Orioles were fearing the prospects of life without the slugger in the middle of the lineup. Davis injured his knee stepping on first base after running out a grounder to third in the top of the fifth inning. His knee appeared to buckle and he struggled to put any weight on his right leg as he exited the game.

Earlier this week, Davis was named American League Player of the Month for April and is hitting .330 with nine home runs and 29 runs batted in after a blistering start to the season.

Adding insult to injury on Friday night, Showalter was forced to insert Ryan Flaherty — and his .108 batting average — at first base with the backup first baseman Pearce already serving as the designated hitter. Without knowing how long Davis will be out, the Orioles’ options on the 25-man roster beyond Pearce were limited as outfielders Nolan Reimold and Nick Markakis have only played the position sparingly.

Minor-league candidates included Danny Valencia, Russ Canzler, and Travis Ishikawa. Of those three, Ishikawa has been playing regularly at first base for Triple-A Norfolk but is hitting only .235. Valencia is hitting .323 with four homers and 18 RBIs while Canzler has a .281 average and leads the Tides in home runs (five) and RBIs (21).

Of course, it was too early to panic until the Orioles learned of Davis’ prognosis, but the lamenting already heard from fans this spring over the departure of Mark Reynolds would have only grown louder if Davis had landed on the disabled list.

And it would have been difficult to blame them if Davis had been out for any significant amount of time with so few viable options to replace him.

With the Orioles concluding the opening month of the 2013 season by tying a franchise record with 16 wins in April, here are 10 thoughts to ponder as May begins:

1. Jason Hammel leads the club with four wins, but we’ve yet to see the 2012 version of the de facto ace show up this season. That’s not to say the right-hander hasn’t been one of the Orioles’ better starting pitchers, but the two-seam fastball that led to his renaissance last season hasn’t shown nearly the same bite through six starts this year. Despite a 3.79 earned run average, Hammel is averaging just 5.9 innings per start and his 5.3 strikeouts per nine innings is down dramatically from the 8.6 rate he held last season. Always possessing strong breaking stuff, Hammel needs to find a better feel for his two-seamer in order to make the rest of his repertoire more explosive. There was little debate that 2012 was a career season for Hammel prior to the knee surgery in July, but the Orioles didn’t actively pursue an impact starting pitcher with the thought — wise or not — that they had a pitcher with top-of-the rotation stuff. They’ll need better from Hammel over the next five months of the season.

2. Chris Davis’ historic opening-week start gained the most attention, but the free-swinging first baseman also collected 16 walks in April. His nine home runs have garnered plenty of press as opponents are pitching the left-handed slugger very carefully since the beginning of the season, but the walk totals have led many — including me — to praise Davis for an improved level of patience at the plate after he walked only 37 times during the 2012 season. However, the 27-year-old is seeing just 3.79 pitches per plate appearance after averaging 4.00 pitches per trip to the plate a year ago. Part of this can be explained by Davis’ strikeout rate decreasing (one every 3.5 at-bats compared to one per 3.0 at-bats last year), but it also indicates his walk numbers may not be sustained as his bat inevitably cools off at different points in the season. Regardless of just how much more patient Davis has become at the plate or not, it’s difficult to dispute how much of a force he’s become since the beginning of last season, making his acquisition in the Koji Uehara deal in 2011 a brilliant one by former president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.

3. The decisions to let go of Mark Reynolds and Joe Saunders weren’t the problem, but electing not to replace them is looking more and more like a mistake. Anyone who expects the former Orioles first baseman to continue hitting .300 like he did in his first month with Cleveland will likely be disappointed, but his eight home runs would look very good in the Baltimore lineup right now. Considering Orioles designated hitters batted .144 and posted a .502 on-base plus slugging percentage in April, Reynolds occupying that role or first base — with Davis handling the other — would be a major boost to the lineup. Meanwhile, Saunders pitched a complete game against the Orioles on Monday night but has been abysmal away from Safeco Field (12.51 ERA) so far. As I said during the offseason, letting go of Reynolds and Saunders was fine if the intention was to upgrade each of their spots and executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette expressed the desire to acquire a middle-of-the-order bat and a veteran starting pitcher. However, neither of those goals were accomplished and that could continue to plague the Orioles throughout 2013.

4. Zach Britton turned in a poor 2013 debut, but his quick demotion sends the wrong message to the organization’s young pitchers. No one expected the 25-year-old left-hander to have a long leash given the higher expectations in Baltimore these days, but I can’t subscribe to the idea of sending down a pitcher who you hope will fit into your future after only one rough start. This creates the impression that young pitchers looking for their chance in Baltimore need to be perfect, which isn’t a mindset conducive to being successful. I also wonder what kind of message it sends to Norfolk manager Ron Johnson and pitching coach Mike Griffin, who gave their recommendation for Britton to be the next call-up after Josh Stinson’s failed start last week. A spot start for an organizational depth guy like Stinson or even a journeyman like Freddy Garcia is fine, but if the expectation all along was for Britton to only receive one chance, the club would have been better served leaving him in Norfolk and not messing with his head. Again, allowing six earned runs in six innings was far from acceptable, but it wasn’t the type of disastrous outing that warranted an immediate exit.

5. It’s safe to say Nolan Reimold has yet to adjust to his new role as the club’s primary designated hitter. Reimold has two home runs, five RBIs, and a 1.029 OPS in 29 plate appearances as the club’s left fielder, but the 29-year-old has posted an ugly .477 OPS with one homer and two RBIs in 52 plate appearances while serving in the DH spot. The problem for Reimold is the remarkable play of Nate McLouth, who has been more productive at the plate and is better defensively in the outfield. Manager Buck Showalter can’t justify taking McLouth out of left field, so Reimold needs to adjust to his new role, which can be difficult for individuals accustomed to being in the game as a defensive player. The good news for Reimold is that he’s remained healthy after undergoing spinal fusion surgery last year, but the Orioles must get better production from the designated hitter or will need to begin looking at other options for the role. It’s fair to acknowledge he’s still regaining strength and is adjusting to not having quite as much range of motion in his neck after the surgery, but Reimold would be the first to tell you he needs to be better at the plate.

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE >>>>>

BALTIMORE — With Tampa Bay lefty Matt Moore taking the hill against the Orioles on Wednesday night, manager Buck Showalter has altered his regular lineup in the second game of the series.

Switch-hitter Alexi Casilla will start at second base instead of Ryan Flaherty, but Nate McLouth will remain in left field in lieu of Steve Pearce earning the start as the designated hitter and Nolan Reimold moving to the outfield. In a small sample size of just two starts, Moore has actually allowed more hits to lefty bats (2-for-11) than right-handed hitters (1-for-24) and can struggle with his command against left-handed hitters. In his brief career that began in 2011, Moore is allowing right-handers to bat .229 while lefties are .238 against him.

Moore hasn’t allowed an earned run in 11 1/3 innings this season, but the 23-year-old has also walked eight batters, including six in his last start against Texas. Patience will be the theme for the approach at the plate for Orioles hitters.

With the Orioles schedule to face left-handed starters in each of the next two games following Wednesday’s tilt, Showalter didn’t want McLouth to sit for an extended period but said Pearce will be in the starting lineup on Thursday against Rays ace David Price. However, Casilla figures to see action in each of the next three games with Flaherty off to a 2-for-28 start this season.

Pitchers Steve Johnson and Tsuyoshi Wada will each throw in Sarasota on Thursday with the former expected to join a minor-league club on either a rehab assignment or an option if all goes well. The right-hander will throw four innings while Wada will toss three as he continues to make his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery.

Despite rumors of the Orioles being interested in Rangers outfielder Julio Borbon, the 27-year-old was place on waivers this afternoon as Texas’ asking price was apparently too steep. The left-handed hitting outfielder provides good speed, but he wouldn’t appear to be a dramatic upgrade over current reserve Chris Dickerson, making it unsurprising that the Orioles weren’t willing to meet the Rangers’ demand.

Now, we’ll wait to see if the Orioles put in a claim and, more importantly, are successful in acquiring him.

The struggles of reliever Pedro Strop were also a topic of discussion prior to the second game of the series. Showalter was quick to remind everyone how successful the right-handed power arm was prior to his late-season struggles a year ago.

Strop allowed two home runs in the eighth inning and is sporting a 10.80 earned run average in six appearances covering five innings. Of course, the Orioles were forced to use five relievers with starter Jake Arrieta lasting only five innings in the series opener.

“I think he’s going to do some good things for us this year,” said Showalter, who noted that Strop hadn’t pitched since Friday and wanted to give him some work. “He already has. He’s gotten some big outs already; last night wasn’t one of them. It was a pretty long chain there because we only got five innings out of our starter.”

Showalter was asked about Tuesday’s incident in which first baseman Chris Davis broke his bat over his knee after striking out, which instantly became an internet hit. The Baltimore manager clearly didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but Showalter didn’t sound as though he wanted to see a repeat performance of the move Bo Jackson made famous in the 1980s.

“I’d just like to be able to do it myself,” said Showalter before answering more seriously. “What are you going to do? It’s risky. I think I’d be more inclined [to say], ‘Let’s do something that kept us from being that mad. Maybe you can take that pitch.’ He’s not the first guy or the last guy [to do it].”

Regardless of Showalter’s feelings, here’s another look at Davis’ bat-break, courtesy of Cork Gaines:

Here are Wednesday’s lineups…

BALTIMORE
RF Nick Markakis
3B Manny Machado
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
1B Chris Davis
SS J.J. Hardy
LF Nate McLouth
DH Nolan Reimold
2B Alexi Casilla

SP Chris Tillman (0-0, 7.00 ERA)

TAMPA BAY
CF Desmond Jennings
2B Kelly Johnson
RF Ben Zobrist
3B Evan Longoria
LF Matt Joyce
DH Shelley Duncan
1B James Loney
C Jose Molina
SS Yunel Escobar

SP Matt Moore (2-0, 0.00 ERA)

Or are they out, AT the gate? Nah, just a little bumpy beginning. Adam Jones had a t-shirt made for all his teammates…..”to be continued”. Cool shirt, they need to market that. Can last season be continued? How about if we settle for somewhere around……….just try and keep up the winning atmosphere and add a few new surprises. Last year, was simply that…..last year. A story of the unexpected, renewed baseball in Baltimore and the underdog making good. Well, the Orioles aren’t going to be underdogs this year and they certainly will not be sneaking up on anybody. It’s time to show up, the ground work has been laid, it’s time to build up.

Rough first week, cool, but rough. The “Boys are Back in Town” – Thin Lizzy. Joe Angel and Fred Manfra are on the radio, people are wearing orange, it is 80 degrees, there is a spring in our step annnnnd the Orioles are 3 – 4. Augh, welcome to 162 game season. Losing the last 2 at home, then losing at Boston has not helped. I guess it was asking a little to much, for the Orioles to spoil ”the arrogant ones”, home opener on Monday, but it sure was wishful thinking. It was nice to hear Oriole cheers in Fenway. Come on Birds, come on Buck-Buck, settle down and just play baseball.

First week positives: 1. It’s baseball season. 2. It’s finally Spring. 3. Opening Day at Camden Yards.  4. Earl Weaver dedication of “First Pitch.” 5. Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Matt Weiters, JJ Hardy, Manny Macahado (Man-ny, Man-ny, Man-ny! Get used to that one, gang). 6. Pitching potential. 7. Had opportunities with runners-in-scoring position.  8. First Orioles moment for 2013 DVD – Chris Davis’ Grand Slam and the 130 decibel eruption at Camden Yards!

First week negatives: 1. Gary Thorne ”In our side” voice. 2. “The Shift” – it cost the Birds versus the Twins in the second game. 3. Is it baseball or is it slow pitch softball? 4. Buck-Buck over-managing. 5. Not taking advantage with runners-in-scoring position. 6. Brian Roberts, Nolan Reimold out ……again.7. Pitching melt downs (it’s early) 8. 3 wins – 4 loses, reality check.

Injuries – thought Roberts was going to make it through April and was hoping until All-Star break – didn’t happen. Just make him like their 20th coach in the dugout. The number of coaches allowed in baseball is almost getting as ridiculous as it is in football. Nolan Reimold, see you later or start taking steroids again. Your body is and will remain broken down. I am a fan of both, but it looks like the PED’s have taken their toll. There is one injury that cannot happen………..and you all know who it is. Steve Pearce, whoops - no, it would be that guy behind the plate, Weiters. No Weiters = No playoffs.

155 games remaining. The Birds have a chance. I say that every year. But really, for the first time in many a year, the light at the end of the tunnel is a little brighter. Heck , for the first time in many a year, there actually appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Ok Adam Jones, I have the orange Kool-aid out, I have the radio playing with the TV muted, I am ready for the ”To be continued….” saga. The nucleus is tight. They had a taste of winning. There is motivation. There is talent down on the farm. Buckle yourself in – it’s gonna be a wild ride. Let’s GO O’s, Let’s GO O’s!

D.I.Y.

Fedman

You may remember the phenomenon of Matt Wieters Facts as the catcher was making his way up the minor-league chain, but the Orioles are now buying into the phenomenon of first baseman Chris Davis through the first four games of the 2013 season.

The club’s public relations staff compiled the following factoids about the slugger’s accomplishments so far and distributed them to media members prior to Saturday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins.

Now, we just need to know whether Superman has traded in his Matt Wieters pajamas in favor of Chris Davis threads.

In case you needed a reminder of how incredible Davis’ start has been, check out the following:

- Has more RBIs (16) than 17 major league teams.

- Has twice as many RBIs as the Marlins (8), Padres (8), Giants (8), Cubs (7), Dodgers (7) and Pirates (6).

- Has more RBIs than any two players in the major leagues combined.

- Has easily the highest RBI total through four team games of a season (16) since the major leagues started recording RBIs in 1920. The previous record was 12 RBIs through four games, by Dolph Camilli (1935 Phillies), Mark McGwire (1998 Cardinals) and Charles Johnson (2000 Orioles). (Elias)

- Has more RBIs in 15 at-bats than Padres shortstop Enzo Hernandez had (12) in 549 at-bats in 1971. (Yahoo Sports-Passan)

- Has a homer and three or more RBIs in four straight games. The only players to do that in five straight are Lou Gehrig (1931) and Bill Dickey (1937). (ESPN Stats)

- Leads the big leagues in go-ahead RBIs (four) and extra-base hits (seven).

- Has 11 homers in his last 38 at-bats. According to SABR, the most homers in a 50-at-bat stretch since 1947 are:
14: Barry Bonds, SF, 11 times in 2001.
13: Albert Belle, CLE, 10 times in 1995.
13: Mark McGwire, STL, 5/14(2nd AB)-5/30(1st AB), 1998.
13: Troy Tulowitzki, COL, 9/5(1st AB)-9/18(3rd AB), 2010.

- Is the first Oriole and fourth player in major league history to homer in each of the first four games of a season, joining Hall of Famer Willie Mays (1971), Mark McGwire (1998) and Nelson Cruz (2011). Frank Robinson was the only Oriole to homer in the first three games of a season (1966). (Elias)

- Is the first major league player with a home run and at least three RBIs in each of four consecutive games at any point in a season since Bill Dickey did that in five straight games for the Yankees in June 1937. (Elias)

- Is the only Oriole ever to drive in three or more runs in each of the club’s first four games of a season.

- Has the most homers in Orioles history in a 10-game span (10) and 11-game span (11) dating back to Sept. 26, 2012.

- Leads the AL in Triple Crown categories (tied with Seattle’s Michael Morse with four homers) and leads the majors in OPS (2.211), slugging (1.600), total bases (24) and RBI (16).

- Hit the second grand slam of his career Friday off Tyler Robertson. His first was July 31, 2012 off Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova.

- Hit the first tie-breaking grand slam in the eighth inning or later by an Oriole since Harold Baines on May 4, 1999 against the White Sox (ESPN). Baines’ slam plated current MASN analyst Mike Bordick and current Orioles vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson.

- Drove in 11 runs in the three-game set in St. Petersburg from April 2-4. The last time an Oriole drove in 11 or more runs in a series of three games or fewer was May 28-29, 2006 when Cal Ripken Jr. drove in 11 runs in two games at Seattle. (Elias)

- Has tied his home run output and surpassed his RBI total from last April (four homers and 12 RBIs in 21 games and 71 at-bats. This April, he has four home runs and 16 RBIs in four games and 15 at-bats.

- Since the RBI became a statistic in 1920, the only other player to hit three or more homers and drive in 11 or more runs in his team’s first three games of a season was the Phillies’ Dolph Camilli in 1935 (four homers, 12 RBIs). (Elias)

- Posted his fourth career four-hit game on April 3 and first since Sept. 26, 2009 for the Rangers against the Rays. April 3 also marked the second time in his career he’s had three extra-base hits in a game (his three-homer game against Toronto came on Aug. 24, 2012).

- In each of the last three games, Adam Jones has recorded a base hit and scored on a homer by the next batter — Chris Davis.

BALTIMORE — Prior to Friday’s home opener against the Minnesota Twins, I asked Orioles first baseman Chris Davis how he thought he could still improve at the plate.

Becoming wide-eyed with a look of disbelief, Davis at first thought I was referencing the first three games of the 2013 season before I explained I was asking in general terms. The first baseman admitted he would still like to be more patient at the plate, particularly in spots with men on base when he can sometimes be overanxious by swinging at bad pitches. He finished with 169 strikeouts and only 37 walks in 562 plate appearances last season.

After watching the 27-year-old hit an eighth-inning grand slam and add five RBIs to his season total to propel the Orioles to a 9-5 win, I feel even more foolish for asking the question earlier in the day. After all, we’re talking about one of the greatest starts in major league history.

“I’m glad he’s on our side,” manager Buck Showalter said. “There are periods you go through where you realize how hard it is — it’s hard to do. His contact-to-damage ratio is real good right now.”

Indeed.

Davis’ 16 RBIs in the first four games of the season set a major league record, shattering the old mark of 12 set by three other players. In comparison, the Miami Marlins had one RBI in their first three games of the season and 23 major league teams had scored fewer than 16 runs entering play on Friday.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound slugger became the first Oriole and only the fourth player in major league history to homer in four straight games to begin a season, joining Willie Mays in 1971, Mark McGwire in 1998, and Nelson Cruz in 2011.

He’s now only two games shy of the club record of six consecutive games with an RBI to begin a season, a mark held by Mike Devereaux (1994) and Brooks Robinson (1966).

Four home runs and 16 RBIs would be a good month for virtually any player on the planet. Davis has collected those numbers in four days.

And while Davis won’t maintain his current video-game numbers pace — 162 home runs and 648 RBIs over a 162-game schedule — what feels more like a suspension of disbelief rather than reality doesn’t seem that terribly different than the overall experience of the 2012 season. Much like the Orioles of a year ago, you’re waiting for Davis to cool off and appear mortal once again.

In the mean time, he’s nearly winning games single-handedly with the club off to a 3-1 start. When he stepped to the plate in the eighth inning following an intentional walk to Nick Markakis and an RBI single by Adam Jones, you just felt Davis was ready to do something special.

A few moments later, he was launching a Tyler Robertson outside pitch into the left-field seats for another opposite-field home run. And a current call was soon to follow after the second grand slam of Davis’ career.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Davis about the records being brought to his attention. “I saw something last year where Larry Bird was talking about individual statistics and records and people coming along and breaking them. The biggest is championships, division titles, World Series. They can’t take that away from you.”

Davis will inevitably show he’s human once again, at times looking like a player in need of a day off and a seat on the bench. But he’s also more than capable of carrying a club for weeks at a time as we learned last season when he slugged 33 home runs and drove in 85 runs to lead the Orioles in both departments.

Ultimately, he strikes out more than you’d like and doesn’t walk enough, but Davis’ raw power is impossible to dismiss and it’s difficult to determine whether he’s reached his ceiling yet with last year being the first time he’s been afforded the opportunity to play in more than 113 games. His start to the 2013 campaign suggests the best is still on its way — at least in comparison to last year anyway.

As was the case in 2012 when the Orioles completed a 24-game turnaround from the year before to qualify for postseason play for the first time in 15 years, Showalter will let it ride for now and enjoy the fruits of Davis’ labor.

He can’t be this good, right?

But maybe there’s another level to his game that few envisioned after an already-impressive performance last season.

“There’s a good chance he won’t be able to keep up this pace,” said the manager as he chuckled.

Of course, but that proclamation sure sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

The Orioles’ season-opening win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday had just about everything you’d like to see.

A five-run seventh inning turned a 3-2 deficit into a 7-4 a comeback victory over an American League East foe.

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Chris Davis combined to go 6-for-12 with two home runs, three walks, and seven runs batted in. Wieters’ two-run home run provided the early lead, Jones’ two-run double in the seventh put the Orioles back in front, and Davis’ three-run blast later that inning finished off Tampa Bay for good. You can’t ask for much more from the heart of the order.

Starting pitcher Jason Hammel pitched six solid innings and allowed only three runs despite being up in the strike zone for a good portion of the afternoon. The de facto ace earned his first victory of the season and was picked up by Troy Patton and Darren O’Day in the seventh and eighth innings.

All-Star closer Jim Johnson earned his first save in an uneventful ninth inning.

20-year-old third baseman Manny Machado picked up where he left off in the field last year with a couple smooth plays and collected a single and a walk hitting in the No. 2 spot.

Even Brian Roberts and Nolan Reimold, two players the Orioles are depending on to remain healthy this season, went a combined 4-for-8 at the plate.

The euphoria accompanying any Opening Day win aside, we know pennants aren’t won or lost in April except in the most extreme cases, but a victory in a game pitched by 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner David Price is one to put in your back pocket over the course of a 162-game schedule. Price didn’t factor into the decision, but the patience and tough at-bats put together by Baltimore hitters — including a 13-pitch walk drawn by Wieters in the third — pushed the left-hander’s pitch count to 100 through six innings and forced Rays manager Joe Maddon to go to his bullpen earlier than he wanted to with his ace on the mound.

The Orioles made life more difficult than it needed to be for themselves by going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leaving four runners stranded on second or third with Price in the ball game, but that’s as much a credit to the 27-year-old pitcher as any shortcoming of Buck Showalter’s lineup. Jones finally broke the 1-for-9 drought overall with runners in scoring position with the double off lefty Jake McGee, who relieved Price to start the seventh.

In three starts against Baltimore last season, Price was 2-0 and allowed one earned run and 13 hits in 22 1/3 innings. No player on the current 25-man roster had ever hit a homer against Price until Wieters launched one into the left-field seats to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The Orioles weren’t fazed by the power lefty, even after he threw four shutout innings against them in Sarasota last week. And they came away with a win in the first of 19 meetings with the Rays, who are regarded by most as a division favorite along with the Toronto Blue Jays this year.

Tueday’s victory is only one in a 162-game marathon, but it’s one you put on the positive side of the ledger that you typically wouldn’t expect to have when facing one of the best pitchers in the game. Of course, it means nothing if you don’t win the close games in which you have a chance, an area in which the Orioles excelled last year with their 29-9 record in one-run games, 16-2 mark in extra-inning affairs, and astonishing 74-0 record when leading after seven innings.

As we would have said had they lost 11-1 at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, it’s only one game. But it is one game just as important as the 161 to follow. And for what’s expected to be an extremely tight division race, Tuesday’s victory represents one the Orioles won’t have to make up in September.

It’s a new season and the improbable 2012 season is only a memory, but the Orioles have already come away with one that you would not have expected.

And that was a familiar feeling.