Inexperience in the rotation, Mychal Givens and tonight's game

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If the Orioles are going to make that magical run and qualify as the second wild card - they remain 4 1/2 games behind the Astros - they'll do so with an inexperienced starter in the rotation or a healthy Miguel Gonzalez trying to salvage his season. Maybe both.

It's not an ideal setup by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm not slamming Mike Wright or Tyler Wilson, two promising young hurlers who will vie for jobs in the rotation or bullpen next spring. They've got upside. They're just continuing their education at the highest level and pitching in September for a team that's still mathematically alive for the postseason.

They're trying to push through that wall of fatigue - minor league pitchers aren't accustomed to working into early October - and ignore the weight of the pressure on their shoulders as they try not to let down their teammates while also trying to impress manager Buck Showalter and his coaching staff.

Wilson relies on his command because he's not usually going to blow his fastball past hitters when nothing else is working. That command abandoned him last night, and there wasn't much that catcher Caleb Joseph could do about it.

"Sometimes, you try to set up a little bit more outside or work on your target a little bit," Joseph said. "And obviously, going out there and trying to let him know, 'Hey, let's get it going.' And he knew he was amped up and jacked up and what-not, and sometimes that's really good. Sometimes, you can run off that adrenaline for six or seven innings and do a really good job, but when you just don't have command of the fastball, it makes it more difficult."

Chaz Roe relieved Wilson in the fifth inning and let an inherited runner score and two of his own in two-thirds of an inning.

"He had some counts in his favor, just didn't finish it off," Showalter said. "He made a lot of good pitches to get ahead in the count, but he couldn't make the third one."

He's had plenty of company this season. The story of the 2015 Orioles will include at least one chapter on that malody.

One highlight was the performance of Mychal Givens, the Tampa native who pitched at Tropicana Field for the first time as a professional. He tossed two perfect innings with three strikeouts to lower his ERA to 1.90 while being cheered on by a host of family members and friends.

"Regardless of the outcome of the game, you can tell he had a little extra oomph on his fastball tonight," Showalter said. "Maybe we can get (them) to travel with him."

Givens continues to field his position as you'd expect from a former shortstop. Showalter has suggested that Givens could enter some games in relief because his glove is needed in specific situations.

"He might be the only pitcher in baseball who makes that 3-6-1 play. Might be the only one that catches that line drive," Showalter said. "That bodes well for his athleticism, and he should only get better and better as he repeats his delivery.

"A big moment for him and his family. Maybe we can get them to travel with him."

Wei-Yin Chen is seeking his 19th quality start in 29 outings. He's already made five starts against the Rays this season, going 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA in 27 1/3 innings.

Chen gave up three runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings on April 7, two runs and seven hits in six innings on May 3, three runs and five hits in seven innings on May 30, two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings on July 26, and five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings on Aug. 31.

Chen is 4-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 18 career starts against the Rays and 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 10 starts at Tropicana Field. The current Rays are batting .306 (56-for-183) against him.

Logan Forsythe is 10-for-25 with two doubles, a triple and three home runs against Chen. Daniel Nava is 7-for-17 with a home run, Kevin Kiermaier is 4-for-10 with a triple and home run, Evan Longoria is 10-for-34 with three doubles and two home runs, Brandon Guyer is 6-for-19 with three doubles, James Loney is 7-for-21 with two doubles and a home run, Asdrubal Cabrera is 1-for-13 with a home run, and Steven Souza, Jr. is 1-for-10 with a home run and five strikeouts.

Erasmo Ramirez shut out the Yankees on only one hit over 7 2/3 innings in his most recent start. He's appeared in four games against the Orioles this season, including three starts, and gone 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA in 19 2/3 innings. Ramirez has walked one batter and struck out 14.

In his career, Ramirez is 2-1 with a 4.01 ERA in six games (five starts) versus the Orioles.

Left-handers are batting .184 against Ramirez this season and right-handers are hitting .279. Go figure.

Manny Machado is 2-for-13 with a home run against Ramirez, Chris Davis is 3-for-14 with two home runs, Adam Jones is 3-for-11 with two doubles, Matt Wieters is 2-for-10 with a home run and Gerardo Parra is 2-for-3 with a double and home run.

Davis walked twice and struck out twice last night. He leads the Orioles with 73 free passes and is five strikeouts shy of 200.