Orioles, Albernaz open with a 2-1 win over Twins: ‘That was a great time’

BALTIMORE–What happened? Craig Albernaz celebrated his first win as Orioles manager by getting soaked. His players made sure of that.

Relief pitcher Tyler Wells approached the 43-year-old rookie manager after the Orioles’ 2-1 Opening Day win over the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards and asked if he was a big “vibes guy.”

Albernaz said he was.

“The next thing I know, I’m thrown into the laundry cart, going into the shower, getting hosed,” he said. “That was a great time.”

Thursday was a great time for Albernaz, the Orioles and the sellout crowd of 42,134 at Camden Yards.

There were seven scoreless innings from Trevor Rogers, who allowed three hits, four walks and hit a batter. He was backed by some stellar defense and three double plays as the Twins went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position (1-for-12 overall).

Samuel Basallo, who started as the designated hitter, singled to start the seventh and went from first to third on a single by Tyler O’Neill to set up the first run and the game-winning rally. He scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Colton Cowser, with O’Neill advancing to second.

Blaze Alexander, in his first game as an Oriole, drove home O’Neill with what proved to be the decisive run with a single up the middle.

The Orioles had just one hit in 5 1/3 innings against Twins starter Joe Ryan, a fourth-inning single by catcher Adley Rutschman.

After Wells gave up a run in the eighth, closer Ryan Helsley preserved the win in the ninth, hitting 102 on the radar gun and striking out the side for his first save with the Orioles. He threw five pitches that hit at least 100 and also got swing-and-misses on a splitter and a slider.

Albernaz enjoyed it all, including the festive pregame ceremony.

“Running down that orange carpet, I didn’t think that carpet was going to stop,” he said. “I feel like it was a long run.”

Albernaz chose Rogers to be his Opening Day starter, and the 28-year-old left-hander did not disappoint.

“That’s what an ace does. He goes out there and sets the tone,” Albernaz said. “He got himself in traffic in a little bit of hairy situations. He got himself out of it with the ground ball.”

The Twins loaded the bases in the second before Rogers struck out Brooks Lee on a 77.3 mph curveball. Minnesota had two runners on in the third and fourth before third baseman Coby Mayo started two key double plays, one after a diving stop. Gunnar Henderson started the third one in the seventh.

“I felt like I was floating out there a little bit,” Mayo said. “I have confidence in myself making plays.”

What did Rogers think of his start? Rogers had a terrific season in 2025 with a 1.81 ERA and a 9-3 record in 18 starts. He was excited to open the season on Thursday.

“It was tough trying to calm the nerves down,” Rogers said. “That crowd was probably the best I’ve been a part of.”

Rogers was relieved to see the double plays.

“I know my changeup is a good double-play pitch,” he said. “Coby and Gunn making unbelievable plays.

“The work that I put in in those tough spots, I’ve got to keep the game simple, keep executing pitches, get the ball on the ground, and I was able to do that.”

How did the bullpen do? Wells pitched the eighth, and allowed the only run on Byron Buxton’s triple and Luke Keaschall’s sacrifice fly.

Helsley gave up a single to Victor Caratini with two outs and threw a wild pitch before striking out Trevor Larnach to end the game.

How important was Basallo’s baserunning?

“That just changed the [complexion] of the game,” Albernaz said. “It was a great read by him, seeing it through, seeing where Buxton was in center field and making the long run. It allowed us to set up Cowser to get the sac fly. That was a huge play.”

Basallo isn’t known for his baserunning.

“It’s something we’ve been working on since spring training,” Basallo said through a team translator. “I saw that [Buxton] didn’t really attack the ball out in the outfield, and thought I wasn’t a fast runner. I was trying to be aggressive on the basepaths, and I decided to go for it.”

How was Alonso’s first game? New first baseman Pete Alonso was hitless in three at-bats. He struck out twice and walked. Before his first at-bat, the crowd greeted him with a loud ovation and he doffed his helmet.

“It’s stellar. Any time that happens, it’s a very special memory,” Alonso said. “It’s a dream come true to have that feeling, and such a blessing.”

Alonso enjoyed his day immensely.

“The pageantry is unbelievable here,” he said. “The orange carpet is special. The flyover, the fireworks. It felt like a movie today. It was such a treat to be a part of.”

Did Alexander have a memorable day? Alexander spoke last week about how he had watched tapes of previous Oriole Opening Day ceremonies.

“I didn’t trip on the carpet,” he said. “I was honestly more nervous for that than playing the actual game. Waiting out there was as advertised, and then some.”

Alexander and his teammates prepared for the fun.

“We were back there for maybe 15, 20 minutes. I started stretching for that run,” he said. “It was going through my mind: ‘Don’t trip.’ I was probably tweaking out the most there. Those doors opened, and I thought I was going to fall over for a second. That was a special Opening Day for me.”

Albernaz noticed that he wasn’t calm early in the game, but Alexander delivered in the clutch in the seventh.

“In his first couple of at-bats, you can tell he’s a little bit jumpy,” Albernaz said.

“Our bats haven’t come alive,” Alexander said. “The potential is unbelievable.”

Roster moves: Right-hander Jackson Kowar and utility player Bryan Ramos cleared outright waivers and have been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. Reliever Andrew Kittredge who was on hand for Opening Day, will be joining Norfolk on a rehab assignment on Friday. He’s on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.  

What does it mean? The Orioles won the opener without a home run, but they got solid pitching, fielding and baserunning, which will be key this season.

What’s the stat of the day? 5. The Orioles won despite having just five hits.

What’s the word? “The fans, they’re into it. We felt them all game. It was great to pull out the win. The whole place was electric today. There was no down in the game. The crowd was there picking everybody up. ”-Albernaz on the atmosphere.

What’s next? After a day off on Friday, Kyle Bradish will start against Taj Bradley at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday.

Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com