Miguel Gonzalez on pitching shutout against Cincinnati (and more)

Miguel Gonzalez was asked if his four-hit shutout over the Cincinnati Reds tonight was the best outing of his career.

"Sure, we'll call that the best," he said. "Caleb (Joseph) did a great job back there, changing speeds and working up and down, in and out. That was fun. Fun to be a part of it.

"It's an awesome feeling. Overall, we played a great game. Put up some runs early. That helps. Our defense was great today. Early in the game, they were swinging first and second pitch. I think that helped to get me through nine innings."

Gonzalez took a one-hitter into the eighth and allowed three singles over the final two innings. He threw 117 pitches, 83 for strikes with one walk and a season-high eight strikeouts in the Orioles' 6-0 win.

Was there any doubt he would go to the mound for the ninth?

"Dave (Wallace) asked me how I feel. Said I felt great, so he's like, 'Get after it, finish it,' " Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez had never pitched in the ninth in a big league game before tonight.

"In the big leagues, never. But in Double-A, I threw one game against Tulsa," he said. "It was nine innings, three hits. I was thinking about that when I went out there in the ninth inning."

Gonzalez is a pitcher on a roll right now. He is 4-2 with an ERA of 2.00 over his last nine starts. He has allowed two earned runs or less eight times in that stretch. His ERA is 1.27 over his past four starts.

So what has been the key to this strong stretch?

"Confidence. And trusting my stuff," Gonzalez said. "Working with Dave and Dom (Chiti) in the bullpen, that has been helping a lot."

With the playoffs on the horizon, Gonzalez was asked about pitching himself into the O's playoff rotation, but he didn't bite on that question.

"I'm just out there trying to do my job and giving my team a chance to win," he said.

Some other clubhouse quotes after the Orioles latest win:

Jonathan Schoop on the ninth inning and the crowd: "It was really good. Everybody wanted him to get the complete game. Today was amazing."

Schoop on whether he got all of the ball on his long home run: "I got a little bit more I think. But I got it pretty good. I think I've got just a little more in the tank. Nelson (Cruz) told me he hit one longer than me."

Joseph on Gonzalez tonight: "Lot of credit has to go to him. He had everything tonight, all four pitches. He can sink the ball, can cut it. He can spin it with a good split. When he has pinpoint control, he can do some damage. It's big, complete game. Shutouts can be rare in this game, especially in September when you have an army of guys in the bullpen. Was fun to be a part of, really exciting."

Joseph on the fall he took near the O's dugout chasing a foul pop: "I'm good. I've got some cushion in the buttocks area, as Forrest Gump would say."

David Lough on his homer: "It was a slider in the middle of the plate. Just put a good swing on it. I struggled early and I feel a lot better at the plate now."

Lough on O's trying to find a new hero every night: "That is what makes good teams. Guys step up, guys make plays out there and it can be somebody different every night. That is how it's been for us. Schoopy had a good night tonight, Miggy pitched a heckuva game. That is what we do."