Hearing from Showalter, Gausman and De Aza after 5-3, 10-inning loss
By Roch Kubatko
The Orioles' four-game winning streak came to an end tonight with a 5-3, 10-inning loss to the Red Sox before 39,079 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles lost for only the second time in their last 12 games.
Tonight's crowd raised the season total to 2,383,129. The Orioles drew 2,357,551 last year.
Pitcher Kevin Gausman developed a small blister on his right hand during the game. He was removed after five innings and 91 pitches.
"He's gotten it off and on a little bit," said manager Buck Showalter. "You may have seen (Evan) Meek get up the inning before. The nail was starting to pull up a little bit. Decided to take him out. We may have let him pitch another inning.
"He doesn't use that as an excuse. I'm sure it bothered him a little bit, but he was OK. We didn't put much together offensively. He was OK considering he was working through that a little bit."
Gausman said he gets a blister during most of his starts.
"This one happened to be under my nail," he said. "I guess they didn't really feel comfortable with me continuing to pitch on it. I understand that. I didn't feel like it had any effect on my stuff. There were some sliders I felt I didn't pull down like I usually do. That might have been the reason. That might not have been. I'd never make an excuse for that.
"Overall, I felt good. I tried to throw a sinker down and away from (David) Ortiz. Didn't really sink, ended up in the middle of the plate. He's a good hitter. He's hit me pretty well since I've been facing him."
Gausman did some maintenance on his nail early in the game.
"Honestly, I felt like it got better the second inning," he said. "I filed down my nail. We originally thought that my nail was coming up, but then when we finally looked at it after the game, kind of found a blood blister under my nail. You know, hopefully kind of treat it and go out there next."
Gausman was charged with three runs (two earned) and seven hits in five innings, with no walks and three strikeouts. He served up back-to-back home runs to Ortiz and Yoenis Cespedes in the fourth.
"I felt good," Gausman said. "I think I just left some pitches up. Obviously, I never like to give up back-to-back homers, but those are two really good hitters. I don't think I've seen a ball hit like Cespedes hit that slider in a while. It was a pretty line-drive home run.
"I thought I did a good job of pitching in on these guys and (Mookie) Betts had probably one of the best at-bats against me all year. He kept fouling off good pitches."
Asked whether he's thinking about the playoffs, Gausman said, "Yeah, a little bit."
"Honesty, I don't know what my role would be, so it's one of those things where I'm going to pitch when they tell me to pitch," he said. "Whether I'm in the bullpen or starting, either way it'll be fine and it will be awesome and I'll gladly take that role. Right now, just really trying to finish the regular season strong and then look to whoever we're playing."
Ortiz hit his second home run of the night in the 10th inning, a two-run shot off Darren O'Day to break a 3-3 tie. O'Day has allowed two homers in his last three outings and three this month.
"Ortiz is a pretty good hitter," Showalter said. "I don't think a whole lot about that. I know it's a break from the level he's spoiled us at, but I hope that's our biggest issue going forward.
"Darren's fine. Gaus gave up a home run, too. He's hit a few off some other good pitchers, too."
O'Day left a pitch up and over the plate to Ortiz.
"I'd have to go back and look at that one," Showalter said. "Most of the time, it's a place where he didn't want to get the ball. It's not his stuff not being good enough. Just, I think, command a little bit.
"He's done a great job this year defending himself against left-handed hitters, but that's the good thing about having Andrew (Miller). As we go forward, we'll be able to watch ourselves there a little bit there where that's concerned."
Delmon Young delivered his 10th pinch-hit of the season, a triple in the seventh inning that scored Alejandro De Aza. Showalter had him timed at 4.3 going down the line.
"Delmon's played the game the right way and been ready every time we needed him all year long," Showalter said. "I was proud of him."
De Aza had three more hits, including two doubles.
"I was just brought here to play and try to help the team to win games," he said. "That's what I'm trying to do."
Cuban center fielder Rusney Castillo, playing in his second major league game, threw out De Aza at the plate in the fifth. De Aza tried to score on David Lough's single up the middle.
"He made a good throw and the ball got there before me, so he got me out," De Aza said. "I think home the whole time. It's just the ball was hit hard and he was playing a little shallow, so that helped him get me out.
"I didn't know him. That's the first time I've seen him play and things are going to happen, you know? Sometimes, you're going to make a bad throw even if you have a good arm. It's not every time he's going throw accurate."
Gausman said he gets a blister during most of his starts.
"This one happened to be under my nail," he said. "I guess they didn't really feel comfortable with me continuing to pitch on it. I understand that. I didn't feel like it had any effect on my stuff. There were some sliders I felt I didn't pull down like I usually do. That might have been the reason. That might not have been. I'd never make an excuse for that.
"Overall, I felt good. I tried to throw a sinker down and away from (David) Ortiz. Didn't really sink, ended up in the middle of the plate. He's a good hitter. He's hit me pretty well since I've been facing him."
Gausman did some maintenance on his nail early in the game.
"Honestly, I felt like it got better the second inning," he said. "I filed down my nail. We originally thought that my nail was coming up, but then when we finally looked at it after the game, kind of found a blood blister under my nail. You know, hopefully kind of treat it and go out there next."
Gausman was charged with three runs (two earned) and seven hits in five innings, with no walks and three strikeouts. He served up back-to-back home runs to Ortiz and Yoenis Cespedes in the fourth.
"I felt good," Gausman said. "I think I just left some pitches up. Obviously, I never like to give up back-to-back homers, but those are two really good hitters. I don't think I've seen a ball hit like Cespedes hit that slider in a while. It was a pretty line-drive home run.
"I thought I did a good job of pitching in on these guys and (Mookie) Betts had probably one of the best at-bats against me all year. He kept fouling off good pitches."
Asked whether he's thinking about the playoffs, Gausman said, "Yeah, a little bit."
"Honesty, I don't know what my role would be, so it's one of those things where I'm going to pitch when they tell me to pitch," he said. "Whether I'm in the bullpen or starting, either way it'll be fine and it will be awesome and I'll gladly take that role. Right now, just really trying to finish the regular season strong and then look to whoever we're playing."
Ortiz hit his second home run of the night in the 10th inning, a two-run shot off Darren O'Day to break a 3-3 tie. O'Day has allowed two homers in his last three outings and three this month.
"Ortiz is a pretty good hitter," Showalter said. "I don't think a whole lot about that. I know it's a break from the level he's spoiled us at, but I hope that's our biggest issue going forward.
"Darren's fine. Gaus gave up a home run, too. He's hit a few off some other good pitchers, too."
O'Day left a pitch up and over the plate to Ortiz.
"I'd have to go back and look at that one," Showalter said. "Most of the time, it's a place where he didn't want to get the ball. It's not his stuff not being good enough. Just, I think, command a little bit.
"He's done a great job this year defending himself against left-handed hitters, but that's the good thing about having Andrew (Miller). As we go forward, we'll be able to watch ourselves there a little bit there where that's concerned."
Delmon Young delivered his 10th pinch-hit of the season, a triple in the seventh inning that scored Alejandro De Aza. Showalter had him timed at 4.3 going down the line.
"Delmon's played the game the right way and been ready every time we needed him all year long," Showalter said. "I was proud of him."
De Aza had three more hits, including two doubles.
"I was just brought here to play and try to help the team to win games," he said. "That's what I'm trying to do."
Cuban center fielder Rusney Castillo, playing in his second major league game, threw out De Aza at the plate in the fifth. De Aza tried to score on David Lough's single up the middle.
"He made a good throw and the ball got there before me, so he got me out," De Aza said. "I think home the whole time. It's just the ball was hit hard and he was playing a little shallow, so that helped him get me out.
"I didn't know him. That's the first time I've seen him play and things are going to happen, you know? Sometimes, you're going to make a bad throw even if you have a good arm. It's not every time he's going throw accurate."
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