Adam Jones on fans: "I'm glad they are a little angry" (plus Wieters, Johnson quotes)

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said if the fans are upset about his team, which has lost 10 of its last 11 games, that is understood and fine by him. He was asked if it is hard for the team to keep the intensity level high with all the recent losing.

"No, we're professionals man," Jones said. "We get paid a lot of money to play this wonderful game. We're getting beat right now and does it look pretty to the fans? No. The fans want us to succeed. The last few years have been very good in Birdland and so I understand the expectations.

"I'm glad they are a little angry. If you are passionate about something, that means you care. They care about our well-being on the field and the results. It's good they are behind us and a little bit upset.

"We're grown men. (We have to) figure out a way. There are no excuses. Have to figure out a way to win. Manufacture runs, play good defense, play overall good baseball and at the end of the day, try to get our closer in to secure a win for us."

Jones was asked about an Orioles offense that has scored three or fewer runs in 10 of the past 11 games.

"Hey, we hit a wall. It happens," he said. "It's not the first time or the last time. We've done it before and right afterwards you guys come back saying what a great team are. You all need to keep an even keel also instead of always harping on negative things. We're playing bad. Hey, we'll turn it around.

"If you keep that positive mindset, positive things happen. Once you continuously dwell on it, players don't like that, players don't respect that. It makes us always be in a bad mood and we don't like that. We want to have a good environment around here. As you've seen for the last four or five years, our environment in the clubhouse has been one of the best."

While Manny Machado will start at shortstop tonight for the Orioles, Matt Wieters gets the start at first base. This will be Wieters' third career start at first and second this year. He started there on Aug. 1 against Detroit.

"I've gotten a few games over there this year," he said. "Just like anybody, you have to go out there and make plays. I played a good bit there my freshman year in college. I've always taken a few ground balls over there. It's about the only other position I can go to besides catching.

"I don't think anyone expects me to be a Gold Glove over at first, but be able to catch the ball and throw the ball. If Buck thinks that is the best lineup, I'm happy to go over there."

Someone told Wieters this could add to his baseball resume.

"I'm not too big of a resume kind of guy. Not being able to catch 140 games this year, it's nice to be in the lineup and contribute in other ways," he said.

Wieters was asked about the mood of the team right now.

"We're good," he said. "We know we have a month-plus to be able to play some good baseball and turn it around. We're looking forward to the challenge tonight with (facing Chris) Archer."

Baltimorean Steve Johnson is in the clubhouse today. He's on the taxi squad for now and expected to be officially added tomorrow when the 25-man roster can expand to up to 40 players.

At Triple-A Norfolk, Johnson went 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 32 appearances, with 16 walks and 67 strikeouts over 54 2/3 innings. He has allowed just one earned run in 17 1/3 innings over his past 10 games.

"I was hoping for a September call-up and had been pitching well, so glad it happened," Johnson said. "Just finally healthy and worked on my delivery in spring training after the surgery. Finally got in a groove and just tried to stay with it. Had a little setback with my oblique in June, but once I came back I've felt great and been throwing my fastball, controlling it and throwing a lot of strikes."

Johnson, whose last major league appearance came on Sept. 27, 2013, underwent surgery last Sept. 24 to shave a bone spur behind his right shoulder.