Notes on lineup shuffling, Sisco, Phillips and Fry (O's down 4-0)

The Orioles are expected to stick with their latest lineup, the third posted today, if the weather allows them to play. It's pouring at Camden Yards.

Breyvic Valera was removed from the original one due to some shuffling that began with Adam Jones going from right field to the designated hitter role. Joey Rickard was inserted into right field, but he's been removed while Chris Davis gets the start at first base.

Baseball's version of the trickle-down theory.

"Just satisfying all the things that we can and try to satisfy on a given night," said manager Buck Showalter. "It's nothing that's dark and complicated as someone may think."

Showalter has been moving around his infielders, but he's going to run out of games before he can get deeper into his experimenting. He wanted to play Valera in the outfield and third base, and Jonathan Villar at third.

"I'm not going to be able to do it. I've only got nine positions," Showalter said.

"One of the problems you kind of run into today. Trying to satisfy so many things on just one night and then you've got some other things that you have to deal with, too. More than just that that you have to massage into it."

Showalter said catcher Chance Sisco remains in "concussion consideration" after a foul tip off Welington Castillo's bat yesterday crashed into the bottom portion of his mask and opened a gash across his chin.

"I know he saw a doctor today," Showalter said. "I'm not going to get into ... He's unavailable tonight for both reasons, the chin and the concussion."

Evan Phillips has appeared in eight major league games this year split between the Braves and Orioles and he's topped out a 2 1/3 innings and 38 pitches on July 3. He went two innings and threw 25 pitches with the Orioles on Aug. 3 in Texas.

Phillips didn't go more than 2 1/3 innings in the minors this season, raising the question of how far the Orioles anticipate keeping him on the mound tonight as the "opener."

"I'm not saying," Showalter replied with a grin. "I'm not telling anybody that. But I know what he's physically able to do and I know what I hope he does."

Tonight marks Phillips' first major league start and the second of his career, the debut coming last summer with Triple-A Gwinnett. But he started at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and held top-ranked LSU to one run over six innings in his final outing.

"It's not an unknown like stuff-wise," Showalter said. "It's just with some of his time off and what-have-you, I want to get that in there first. And a couple other reasons as far as some matchups. But they have a bunch of switch-hitters.

"We'll see how far he can go. I know what's the furthest I would take him and I know where we'll go after that. We're also trying to prepare for Wednesday and tomorrow for that matter. You can't assume anything with some of the weather that's there.

"The last thing you'd like to do is start Dylan (Bundy) for an inning tomorrow and then the weather (takes) him out."

Left-hander Paul Fry earned his first career save yesterday by recording the last five outs in an 8-4 win over the White Sox.

"I wasn't really sure based on the situation," he said. "I wasn't even trying to think about it. But, yeah, I knew immediately afterward because all the guys were saying what happens after your first save."

Fry wouldn't reveal what his teammates subjected him to, but it had to be messy judging by their usual methods.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," he said. "What happens in here stays in here, but definitely a celebration."

Fry came close to getting that save a few weeks ago but was removed before the final out. Mychal Givens was warming yesterday with the Orioles holding a three-run lead, but they scored again and Fry returned for the ninth.

"I never left the mindset of going back out there," he said. "Getting that 27th out is a different beast. I've been in that situation before, been one strike away and I wanted to finish it this time."

On this date in 1955, future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson made his major league debut at 18 and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Orioles' 3-1 win over Washington at Memorial Stadium. He was 0-for-18 with 10 strikeouts in the next five games to close the season.

Update: Phillips retired the first five batters he faced, but the Blue Jays scored three runs in the second inning on Rowdy Tellez's RBI single and Danny Jansen's two-run homer for a 3-0 lead.

Update II: Kevin Pillar homered off Sean Gilmartin with two outs in the seventh to give Toronto a 4-0 lead. Gilmartin retired 14 of 16 batters.