Craig Albernaz walked into the interview room and rubbed his shaved head with his hands, trying to wipe away any excess celebration.

Albernaz notched his first win as a major league manager and got the standard treatment. A laundry cart, beer, soap and anything else that could be dumped on him. He’s one of the guys now.

“Sorry I’m late. I got soaked,” he said after the Orioles’ 2-1 Opening Day victory over the Twins.  

“I had to do a quick wardrobe change.”

There isn’t much Albernaz would want to change about today. Or anyone else for that matter.

“It was a gritty win,” said first baseman Pete Alonso. “It was a blue collar win today.”

Trevor Rogers gave the Orioles seven shutout innings despite heavy traffic on the bases. They scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to break a scoreless tie. Closer Ryan Helsley hit triple digits six times in the ninth while recording the save, reaching 101.9 mph and looking absolutely filthy on the mound while getting away clean.

Albernaz needed a hot shower.

“A lot of beer,” said third baseman Coby Mayo.

“It was fun,” Albernaz said. “Right away, Tyler Wells came in and asked, ‘How big of a vibes guy are you?’ I’m like ‘I said it before, I’ll say it again, I’m always down for the boys.’ So next thing I know, I’m thrown into the laundry cart, going into the shower, getting doused. So it was a great time.”

“It was awesome,” said Blaze Alexander. “I remember my first beer shower and yeah, to throw Alb in that cart, get him in there, and everyone’s chucking beer, soap, anything at him, that’s awesome. That’s what it’s about, and big congrats to Alb. I’m happy he’s our leader.”

Some other highlights from Opening Day:

*The Orioles prevailed in large part because Rogers kept escaping jams, the nine baserunners – one on an error – unable to wreck his day.

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

“Coby played a great third base for us today. And Rog had to. Joe Ryan was on today. He was filling up the strike zone with all his pitches.”

Rogers threw 88 pitches in his first career Opening Day start. He allowed three hits, walked four and struck out five.

“It was tough trying to calm the nerves down a little bit, but when they announced all the names … and that crowd was probably the best I’ve ever been a part of, so I was just happy that we battled through nine and got the win today. It was just a good day all around,” Rogers said.

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

*Going back to Mayo …

He started two double plays, handling a blistering ground ball to his left in the third to get Rogers out of a jam.

“It just showed me that he was just ready for the moment,” Albernaz said. “All the work he’s put in. And you always go back on your preparation and your work, and that’s something where Coby has laid that groundwork in spring training. Still was getting after it today. Still has and still will.

“I’m confident with him over there. And those two double plays were huge for us to keep us in the game. Who knows how the momentum would have went or how things would have changed if those balls got by.”

“Man, that was an absolute clinic today,” Alonso said. “He could stay right there. That would be fantastic.”

A third double play was turned in the seventh on a grounder to Gunnar Henderson.

“Man, that was huge,” Rogers said. “I know my changeup’s a good double play pitch. Coby and Gunn just making unbelievable plays behind me, so tip my cap to those guys for sure.”

*Alexander, in his Orioles debut, fell behind 1-2 to Justin Topa in the seventh and delivered an RBI single for a 2-0 lead that proved to be crucial after Minnesota scored a run in the eighth.

“It was a great adjustment, a great approach by him,” Albernaz said. “His first couple at-bats you could tell he was a little bit jumpy. And then with Topa, his sinker’s tough, it bores in on you, and a righty with that late movement. So he did a good job of seeing it deep, staying inside the ball and giving himself a chance.”

Alexander made a smart adjustment at the plate.

“I was leg-kicking early and I said, ‘Be an athlete. Get that foot down. Get to any heater. Get to that 100 mile-an-hour heater, get that foot down and battle, man.’ And super pleased,” he said.

“Game-winning RBI, super cool, man. First hit as a Baltimore Oriole. Just looking at the dugout, seeing everyone’s faces, super excited for me. I’m pumped up and I’m grateful to be here.”  

It meant a lot to Alexander that Albernaz had confidence in him, signaling for his second baseman to swing away.

“Alb gave me the head nod, go f’in get ‘em, and I just went up there, compete and got that base it,” Alexander said. “I appreciate Alby for trusting me there.”

*Samuel Basallo started the decisive rally. He led off the inning with a single and went first-to-third on Tyler O’Neill’s single, which was followed by Colton Cowser’s sacrifice fly and a 1-0 lead.

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

*Alonso received a standing ovation before his first at-bat, which prompted him spontaneously to step out of the box and raise his helmet.

“It just shows how the fans, they’re into it,” Albernaz said. “We felt them all game. Obviously, it was great to pull out the win in front of them, but the whole place was electric today. There was no down in the game. I feel like the crowd was there picking everybody up.”

“Honestly, it was stellar,” Alonso said. “Anytime that happens, it’s a really special memory. Just for them to embrace me, zero at-bats in just right before that first one, it was just really special. I mean, it’s a dream come true to have that feeling, and it’s such a blessing, and I’m glad we got the win for them today.”

*The Opening Day festivities lived up to and exceeded expectations.

“The crowd was awesome,” Albernaz said. “Before we were kind of waiting in the back to run down the orange carpet, a few of us kind of snuck in the side when the garage door was open. And feel the vibe, feel the crowd, with K.B. (Kevin Brown)announcing and kind of getting everyone going with the festivities. It was so cool. And then running down the orange carpet, I didn’t think that carpet was going to stop. It just felt like it was a long run. But the whole day was awesome.”

“The pageantry here is just unbelievable,” said Alonso, who blew kisses to the crowd after walking through the bullpen gates. “The orange carpet, special. The flyover, fireworks, I mean, honestly it felt like a movie today. It was such a treat to be a part of, and I know there’s a lot of excitement with this group of guys and this team, and you could really feel that here.

“It was electric today. This was all-time today. Happy to be a part of it and glad we got the Opening Day W. And we’ve just got 161 to go.”

Alexander watched videos of past Opening Days, but he wasn’t prepared for this level of excitement.

“We were back there for probably 15 or 20 minutes and I started stretching a little bit for that run,” Alexander said. “It was going through my mind, don’t trip. I was asking everyone, ‘How’s the carpet?’ I was probably tweaking out the most out there.

“Those doors opened, I took that first step and I thought I was gonna fall over for a second. I got my feet under me, made the run, and it’s as advertised and more. That was a special Opening Day for me.”

Notes: Pitcher Jackson Kowar and infielder/outfielder Bryan Ramos cleared outright waivers and were assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Reliever Andrew Kittredge is reporting to Norfolk on Friday for the Tides’ opener. He’s joining second baseman Jackson Holliday on an injury rehab assignment.