On the field: Two weeks ago, when the concern for Chris Hoiles' throwing arm was at its greatest, manager Davey Johnson said there was a chance Hoiles might not play against the speedy Kansas City Royals in the first series. But Hoiles, throwing better since adjusting his mechanics, started Opening Day, and the Royals' running game was never a factor. They only had six base runners against Mike Mussina, who also did a good job of holding the runners.
In the dugout: After Hoiles singled to lead off the seventh inning, Johnson replaced him with pinch runner Manny Alexander, and Gregg Zaun caught the last two innings. If Zaun had gotten hurt, the Orioles had third baseman B. J. Surhoff -- a catcher for most of his career in Milwaukee -- for such an emergency.
