Gonzalez gets the start Tuesday, and other notes (O's lose 8-0)

BOSTON - Miguel Gonzalez will be activated from the disabled list and start Tuesday night against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. He also would be able to start the season's final game on Oct. 4 versus the Yankees.

Gonzalez hasn't pitched since Aug. 30 because of a sore right shoulder and elbow.

"It's great," Showalter said. "We were really hopeful at the time that he'd be able to get back for a couple of starts. Hopefully, more than that. But it's good for him and the organization to finish the year healthy."

As the rotation is lined up, the Orioles will start Ubaldo Jimenez on Sunday and Gonzalez on Tuesday. Manager Buck Showalter confirmed that Wei-Yin Chen will start again on Friday against the Yankees. Otherwise, Showalter could go in a few directions with six starters.

Chris Tillman's next turn falls on Monday and Kevin Gausman's next turn falls on Wednesday. But what about Tyler Wilson, whose turn falls on Tuesday? Everyone could be pushed back a day.

Why is Ryan Flaherty in left field today against Red Sox left-hander Craig Breslow? Let's review the reasons.

Breslow is on a 40-pitch limit and could be followed by a succession of right-handers. Nobody knows. Also, Flaherty is 3-for-6 against Breslow.

Flaherty is making his seventh career start in left field, the previous six coming in 2012. Three of those starts were at Fenway Park. He's got a comfort zone.

Flaherty is a career .293/.338/.459 hitter with 11 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 20 RBIs in 42 games against the Red Sox. He's posted a .388/.434/.567 slash line at Fenway Park, going 26-for-67 with seven doubles, a triple, a home run and 11 RBIs in 20 games.

"It's actually more challenging in right field, knock on wood. I think right field is trickier than left field here," Showalter said. "He basically grew up (here). If you look, he's our best hitter in this ballpark and he's, what, 3-for-6 off Breslow. And it just kind of worked out.

"I knew I wanted to get Ryan in as much as I could here. Statistically, he's our best hitter here in this ballpark, so we'll see if that continues.

"I really need to get Chris off the field for a day and DH. He's hit his shin - if you notice, he doesn't wear a shin guard - he's hit his shin in the same place twice. He's got a pretty good knot on that leg and I really need to get him off the field for a day."

The Red Sox will use a succession of relievers today, making it hard for Showalter to counter with his lineup.

"That's why it took so long," he said. "And then Adam (Jones). We had two lineups, one with Adam in and one out. But those two took about an hour and a half, as you all know.

"The last month has really been as challenging lineups and batting orders to make out. Because you're trying to not make them face multiple hitters with one pitcher. But that's their business and how they're going to go about it. But especially after they got nine innings out of their starter last night. They've got all their bullets."

Jones played catch and ran in the outfield, and he took about 25 swings off a tee and soft toss.

"Close again," Showalter said. "A little sore from yesterday. He took 25 swings off the tee in soft toss and ran around some. He's a little sore from that, but I think a little better. I expect him by the end of the day ... They do a lot of treatment during the game.

"Didn't quite like the body language, the walk around the clubhouse. He's still a little stiff. He's certainly earned that. He's a guy that posts up as good as anyone in baseball. If he even mentions something to you, you know it's bothering him. I'm hopeful tomorrow, maybe sometime today. You never know.

"He's available. I mean, if I said, 'Adam, let's give it a shot,' he'd be the first guy out there. It's just not fair to him and the team. Someone's got to make that decision and Adam's not going to. I don't expect him, too. It's not his job.

"Adam's earned the right to tell us how he feels, and then we'll make that decision."

Update: Chris Davis struck out for the 200th time to end the first inning and set the club record. He held the old mark at 1999 in 2013. A 200-strikeout season has happened seven times in the majors.

Breslow is the oldest pitcher to make his first career start in the American League since the Orioles' Daniel Boone in 1990.

Update II: Wei-Yin Chen retired 12 in a row before a one-out walk to Brock Holt and RBI double by Josh Rutledge broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning.

Breslow allowed two hits in a career-high four innings. He threw 55 pitches.

Update III: Chen retired the first two batters in the sixth and allowed a double to Rusney Castillo and RBI single to Holt. Red Sox 2, Orioles 0

Chen is charged with two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 111 pitches, 76 for strikes.

The Orioles are being shut out on three hits.

Update IV: Manny Machado's fielding error with two outs in the seventh allowed two runs to score off Oliver Drake and give Boston a 4-0 lead.

Three of the four runs have scored with two outs.

Update V: The Orioles lose to the Red Sox 8-0 and fall 4 1/2 games behind the Astros for the second wild card with eight remaining.

The Orioles are two games below .500 at 76-78. They've been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since July 2 and 3.

In two games of this series, the Orioles have been held to seven hits in 18 scoreless innings.

The Red Sox scored four unearned runs in the eighth after Steve Pearce and Machado committed fielding errors. Machado has 19 errors this season. Six of the eight runs today were unearned.

Seven pitchers combined on the shutout.