Manager Buck Showalter confirmed yesterday that Guthrie will start on opening night in Tampa Bay on April 1.

“I don’t think that’s some big secret,” Showalter said.

It will be the third opening day start in four years for Guthrie, the exception last season when veteran Kevin Millwood received the assignment. Guthrie, a right-hander, went 11-14 with an 3.83 ERA last season.

“It’s nice be on the field for the first game of the year,” Guthrie said. “That means a lot, to be with your teammates in that first game. I remember watching it last year and saying, ‘Man, I really wish I was out there.”‘

Left-hander Brian Matusz will start the second game in Tampa Bay, and second-year pitcher Jake Arrieta has been penciled in to pitch the home opener against Detroit on April 4.

“It’s a good way to set the tone for the year for the home fans,” Arrieta said. “It’s going to be a special feeling, stepping on our home field again. Everybody’s going to be excited for the 2011 season. I plan on going out there and showing them what we’re capable of doing this year.”

The competition for third starter remains open. Chris Tillman, Brad Bergesen and Zach Britton are competing for the slot. Bergesen has the edge in experience, but he’s got a 5.94 ERA this spring compared to 3.55 for Tillman and 0.64 for the 23-year-old Britton, who has yet to pitch in the majors.

“It’s exciting. We’re seven days from breaking camp and I’m still here fighting for a spot,” said Britton, a third-round pick in the 2006 draft. “Obviously I don’t have the experience of the other guys, but I haven’t had the opportunity. Until I get that chance, I’m always going to be the guy without experience.”

Justin Duchscherer, who has been bothered by left hip soreness for much of the spring, will probably start the season on the 15-day disabled list. The Orioles hope he can return on April 21 as the fifth starter in the rotation.

“If he stays still on plan and he’s able to do all the things that we put out for the month of April … he should be able to come back to us on the 21st,” Showalter said. “He’s aware of that, which is about where we need a fifth starter.”

The Orioles will probably need a fifth starter on April 10, too.

“There are three or four options on which way we can go,” Showalter said. “We’re going to make that call in the near future.”

Duchscherer was signed as a free agent in February. He finished each of the past four seasons on the DL, and now it appears he will start there. The right-hander pitched in only five games last season because of left hip inflammation.

In other news, Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario cleared waivers and returned to the Milwaukee Brewers. Pat Egan cleared waivers and returned to the Orioles from Milwaukee.

Egan worked 61/3 scoreless innings and recorded two saves this spring.

Baltimore also cut third baseman Josh Bell from the major league camp, along with pitchers Chris Jakubauskas, Mike Ballard, Alberto Castillo, Chris George and catcher Michel Hernandez.

Orioles 11, Pirates 7:Felix Pie homered and drove in four runs for Baltimore. Mark Reynolds and Luke Scott also connected for the Orioles, who rebounded from an early 3-0 deficit.

Reynolds’ homer was his first in a Baltimore uniform, and Pie’s two-run drive gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning.

Arrieta gave up three runs and a pair of homers in the first inning, then pitched four innings of one-hit ball before exiting with one out in the sixth. He was charged with four runs and five hits.

“The first inning, I started out just real sloppy,” the right-hander said.

Asked if he was pleased with the outing, Arrieta said, “Absolutely. I made a lot of strides. From the second to the fifth inning, I feel like I was throwing like I was in midseason form. That’s a good sign.”

Orioles 11, Pirates 7

Pittsburgh Baltimore

ab r h bi ab r h bi

McCutchen cf 4 1 1 0 B.Roberts 2b 4 0 2 1

Ciriaco cf 1 0 0 0 Andino pr-2b 0 1 0 0

Tabata lf 4 0 0 0 Markakis rf 5 1 2 0

Olson p 0 0 0 0 Bumbry rf-cf 0 0 0 0

J.Rodriguez ss 1 1 1 2 D.Lee 1b 4 3 1 0

Overbay 1b 3 2 1 2 Reimold pr-lf 0 0 0 0

Pearce ph 1 0 0 0 Guerrero dh 4 0 2 2

Walker 2b 4 2 4 2 B.Harris pr-dh 0 0 0 0

Alvarez 3b 3 0 1 1 Scott lf 5 1 1 1

G.Jones rf 2 0 0 0 Fox 1b 0 0 0 0

Cedeno ss 4 0 0 0 Pie cf 4 1 2 4

Leroux p 0 0 0 0 N.Green rf 0 0 0 0

Snyder c 3 0 0 0 Reynolds 3b 4 3 2 1

Jaramillo c 1 0 0 0 C.Izturis 3b 0 0 0 0

Ohlendorf p 2 0 0 0 Wieters c 4 1 1 0

Meek p 0 0 0 0 Hardy ss 3 0 2 2

Bowker ph-lf 1 1 0 0 C.Rojas ss 0 0 0 0

Totals 34 7 8 7 Totals 37 11 15 11

Pittsburgh 300 001 012-7

Baltimore 021 032 30x-11

E-Overbay (1), Alvarez (1). DP-Pittsburgh 1. LOB-Pittsburgh 5, Baltimore 9. 2B-Mar.Reynolds (3), Wieters (4). HR-J.Rodriguez (1), Overbay (4), Walker 2 (4), Scott (2), Pie (1), Mar.Reynolds (1). SB-Markakis (1). CS-Pie (1). SF-Guerrero, Pie, Hardy.

IP H R ER BB SO

Pittsburgh

Ohlendorf L,0-4 4 2-3 9 6 5 2 4

Meek 1 1-3 3 2 0 0 1

Olson 1 3 3 3 2 1

Leroux 1 0 0 0 0 1

Baltimore

Arrieta W,3-0 5 1-3 5 4 4 3 4

Jakubauskas 1 2-3 0 0 0 0 3

D.Klein 1 2 1 1 1 0

Hendrickson 1 1 2 2 1 0

WP-Olson.

A-6,677 (7,500).

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP)—The Baltimore Orioles’ rotation is beginning to take shape, starting at the top with right-hander Jeremy Guthrie(notes).

Manager Buck Showalter confirmed Thursday that Guthrie will start on opening night in Tampa Bay on April 1.

“I don’t think that’s some big secret,” Showalter said.

It will be the third opening day start in four years for Guthrie, the exception last season when veteran Kevin Millwood(notes) received the assignment. Guthrie, a right-hander, went 11-14 with an 3.83 ERA last season.

“It’s nice be on the field for the first game of the year,” Guthrie said. “That means a lot, to be with your teammates in that first game. I remember watching it last year and saying, ‘Man, I really wish I was out there.”’

Left-hander Brian Matusz(notes) will start the second game in Tampa Bay, and second-year pitcher Jake Arrieta(notes) has been penciled in to pitch the home opener against Detroit on April 4.

“It’s a good way to set the tone for the year for the home fans,” Arrieta said. “It’s going to be a special feeling, stepping on our home field again. Everybody’s going to be excited for the 2011 season. I plan on going out there and showing them what we’re capable of doing this year.”

The competition for third starter remains open. Chris Tillman(notes), Brad Bergesen(notes) and Zach Britton(notes) are competing for the slot. Bergesen has the edge in experience, but he’s got a 5.94 ERA this spring compared to 3.55 for Tillman and 0.64 for the 23-year-old Britton, who has yet to pitch in the majors.

“It’s exciting. We’re seven days from breaking camp and I’m still here fighting for a spot,” said Britton, a third-round pick in the 2006 draft. “Obviously I don’t have the experience of the other guys, but I haven’t had the opportunity. Until I get that chance, I’m always going to be the guy without experience.”

Justin Duchscherer(notes), who has been bothered by left hip soreness for much of the spring, will probably start the season on the 15-day disabled list. The Orioles hope he can return on April 21 as the fifth starter in the rotation.

“If he stays still on plan and he’s able to do all the things that we put out for the month of April … he should be able to come back to us on the 21st,” Showalter said. “He’s aware of that, which is about where we need a fifth starter.”

The Orioles will probably need a fifth starter on April 10, too.

“There are three or four options on which way we can go,” Showalter said. “We’re going to make that call in the near future.”

Duchscherer was signed as a free agent in February. He finished each of the past four seasons on the DL, and now it appears he will start there. The right-hander pitched in only five games last season because of left hip inflammation.

In other news, Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario cleared waivers and returned to the Milwaukee Brewers. Pat Egan cleared waivers and returned to the Orioles from Milwaukee.

Egan worked 6 1-3 scoreless innings and recorded two saves this spring.

Baltimore also cut third baseman Josh Bell(notes) from the major league camp, along with pitchers Chris Jakubauskas(notes), Mike Ballard, Alberto Castillo(notes), Chris George and catcher Michel Hernandez(notes).

Quick, which AL East team had the best record over the final two months of last season?

Bet you didn’t guess the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s strange, but true. Beginning Aug. 3, the day Buck Showalter took over as manager, Baltimore won 34 of 57 games. Dynamic center fielder Adam Jones batted .314; designated hitter Luke Scott drove in 29 runs; young left-hander Brian Matusz went 7-1 with a 2.18 ERA, beating the Red Sox [team stats], Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

And if the Orioles weren’t already 34 games out of first place, it all would have meant something.

Instead, it served merely as a glimpse of their vast potential that had gone unrealized for most of the season and provided hope that a homegrown core, which regressed under Showalter’s predecessors Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel, finally may be ripe to yield the Orioles’ first winning season since 1997.

But in the AL East meat grinder, it’s easy to get carved up, especially with a rotation that presently doesn’t include a pitcher who has won more than 11 games in a season. And Showalter refuses to take satisfaction from the blind optimism that often is spawned by the late-season success of an out-of-contention team.

“What’s real, what’s not?” Showalter said recently of the possibility that the strong finish may have been only a mirage. “I think the young pitchers maturing, we can see their confidence level rise a little when they quit giving the other team too much credit and trusted themselves a little bit more. You can see some of them, their feet getting on the ground a little bit more, understanding that it’s not easy, but they can do this if they take the right approach.

“I’m aware of the reality of what’s ahead of us. Whatever we are not good at will show up and what we are good at will show up. We will have our curiosity satisfied very quickly.”

The Orioles recast their infield by trading for 30-homer/200-strikeout third baseman Mark Reynolds and shortstop J.J. Hardy, and signing 35-year-old first baseman Derrek Lee, who remains an effective leader even though his once-robust numbers are declining. They’re also counting on more rapid and consistent improvement from Jones, right fielder Nick Markakis and catcher Matt Wieters.

Mainly, though, general manager Andy MacPhail has tried to copy the San Diego Padres’ out-of-the-blue success by collecting a cadre of proven relievers. The Orioles re-signed incumbent closer Koji Uehara and added free agent right-handers Kevin Gregg and Jeremy Accardo to holdover Jim Johnson and lefty Mike Gonzalez, both of whom were slowed by injuries last season.

“Nobody dreamed the Padres would do as well as they did last year, and obviously their bullpen was locked in,” Showalter said. “They were playing six-inning games.”

But the Padres starters also had the NL’s fourth-best ERA. The Orioles rotation features only unproven potential.

Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, the lone veteran starter, has 38 wins and a 4.06 ERA over the past four seasons. Matusz, who turns 24 next month, finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting and has the stuff to eventually join the Yankees’ CC Sabathia, the Rays’ David Price and the Red Sox’ Jon Lester [stats] in the ranks of dominant AL East lefties.

Although the Orioles have been linked to free agent slugger Vladimir Guerrero, MacPhail’s higher priority is adding a starter. Remaining free agent options include Jeremy Bonderman, Freddy Garcia, John Maine and Kevin Millwood, an unmitigated disaster in Baltimore last season (4-16, 5.10 ERA).

Otherwise, the burden may rest with three prospects: righties Chris Tillman and Jake Arrieta and lefty Zach Britton. And it’s probably asking too much, too soon, to expect all three will be able to contend with the Red Sox’ and Yankees’ unrelenting lineups as they adapt to pitching in the majors.

“A lot of times we overlook an orchid while searching for a rose, and someone all of a sudden pops,” Showalter said. “Someone comes at a quicker pace or expands into the player that you expect he will be. Hope that happens.”

(First in a series looking at the rest of the American League East)

Quick, which AL East team had the best record over the final two months of last season?

Bet you didn’t guess the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s strange, but true. Beginning Aug. 3, the day Buck Showalter took over as manager, Baltimore won 34 of 57 games. Dynamic center fielder Adam Jones batted .314; designated hitter Luke Scott drove in 29 runs; young left-hander Brian Matusz went 7-1 with a 2.18 ERA, beating the Red Sox [team stats], Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

And if the Orioles weren’t already 34 games out of first place, it all would have meant something.

Instead, it served merely as a glimpse of their vast potential that had gone unrealized for most of the season and provided hope that a homegrown core, which regressed under Showalter’s predecessors Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel, finally may be ripe to yield the Orioles’ first winning season since 1997.

But in the AL East meat grinder, it’s easy to get carved up, especially with a rotation that presently doesn’t include a pitcher who has won more than 11 games in a season. And Showalter refuses to take satisfaction from the blind optimism that often is spawned by the late-season success of an out-of-contention team.

“What’s real, what’s not?” Showalter said recently of the possibility that the strong finish may have been only a mirage. “I think the young pitchers maturing, we can see their confidence level rise a little when they quit giving the other team too much credit and trusted themselves a little bit more. You can see some of them, their feet getting on the ground a little bit more, understanding that it’s not easy, but they can do this if they take the right approach.

“I’m aware of the reality of what’s ahead of us. Whatever we are not good at will show up and what we are good at will show up. We will have our curiosity satisfied very quickly.”

The Orioles recast their infield by trading for 30-homer/200-strikeout third baseman Mark Reynolds and shortstop J.J. Hardy, and signing 35-year-old first baseman Derrek Lee, who remains an effective leader even though his once-robust numbers are declining. They’re also counting on more rapid and consistent improvement from Jones, right fielder Nick Markakis and catcher Matt Wieters.

Mainly, though, general manager Andy MacPhail has tried to copy the San Diego Padres’ out-of-the-blue success by collecting a cadre of proven relievers. The Orioles re-signed incumbent closer Koji Uehara and added free agent right-handers Kevin Gregg and Jeremy Accardo to holdover Jim Johnson and lefty Mike Gonzalez, both of whom were slowed by injuries last season.

“Nobody dreamed the Padres would do as well as they did last year, and obviously their bullpen was locked in,” Showalter said. “They were playing six-inning games.”

But the Padres starters also had the NL’s fourth-best ERA. The Orioles rotation features only unproven potential.

Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, the lone veteran starter, has 38 wins and a 4.06 ERA over the past four seasons. Matusz, who turns 24 next month, finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting and has the stuff to eventually join the Yankees’ CC Sabathia, the Rays’ David Price and the Red Sox’ Jon Lester [stats] in the ranks of dominant AL East lefties.

Although the Orioles have been linked to free agent slugger Vladimir Guerrero, MacPhail’s higher priority is adding a starter. Remaining free agent options include Jeremy Bonderman, Freddy Garcia, John Maine and Kevin Millwood, an unmitigated disaster in Baltimore last season (4-16, 5.10 ERA).

Otherwise, the burden may rest with three prospects: righties Chris Tillman and Jake Arrieta and lefty Zach Britton. And it’s probably asking too much, too soon, to expect all three will be able to contend with the Red Sox’ and Yankees’ unrelenting lineups as they adapt to pitching in the majors.