Davis homers, Jones singles and keeps his helmet intact

NEW YORK - Orioles first baseman Chris Davis set career highs last season with 33 home runs and 85 RBIs. His shot to center field today in the top of the first inning, following Adam Jones' two-out single, gave him 33 home runs and 85 RBIs. Instant analysis: Davis is going to set new career highs in both categories. The ball hit the top of the center field fence and bounced over, giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Matt Wieters homered last night to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the second inning, and the offense shut down. Davis has five homers in his last seven games and 13 in 23. He's expected to receive official word today that he's been voted into his first All-Star Game. At last count, he had the second-highest total in the American League behind Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Jones was 4-for-25 before lining a single into left field. Perhaps he should vent more often. Last night, a YES Network camera caught Jones, deep in the tunnel that leads from the visiting dugout, smash his helmet with his bat after flipping it in the air. Then, he hurled the bat in the general direction of the helmet. It was quite the tantrum. "I think it was needed," Jones said. "I hadn't performed the way I would like to, so, hey, it's better than me hitting something. It's bad by the cameras to be all the way down there. I think there's a certain amount of privacy that we should be able to get. Obviously, if I wanted to do it where everybody could see it, I would have done it on the bench. But, hey, a little frustration, I don't think that ever hurt anybody. "I got a nice text from my mother saying, 'I know you are real passionate. I know you care. But stop that (stuff).' I know mom's paying attention. She loves her son and she knows that sometimes I get a little frustrated, but, hey, it's all part of the game and it happens." Jones had no idea that a camera was focused on him until later. "(Nolan) Reimold told me," Jones said. "Reimold came up here and told me, 'Nice snap.' Hey, it happens. Much needed. I've been scuffling at the plate it seems like the last month, not in a way I know I can. So, I hope that squares me up and just let's me get back on the grind. That's one thing about me is, I ain't gonna quit. It was needed." Fans can take those actions two ways. "Either, this guy cares or he's a sore loser," Jones said. "There's always going to be one or two opinions on it. But I know the fans of baseball, the fans of mine, they know I care about what I do on the field. It's important to me. If need be, I will do it again. "I think it's my fourth or fifth helmet this year. And these are the ones you can't even break. Supposedly. "You can't break these things, you just can dent them. And trust me, I've tried to break them. Tried. You just can dent them. There's frustration in baseball, but hey, I think it brings out the best in some of us. It's not going to stop my competitive nature."