Pregame notes from Showalter's office (Orioles lose 9-3)

NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter chided reporters today for the lack of newsy questions during his pregame session in his office at Yankee Stadium.

The lineup includes Chris Davis back at first base for the first time since June 24.

"That's a story?" Showalter said jokingly. "He's played a lot of first base."

What about Nolan Reimold in right field against right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. He's pretty much been used in a platoon system.

"It's just like Ryan (Flaherty)," Showalter said. "Needs to get out there, hasn't had a start in a while. Try to keep everybody in the flow."

Chris Parmelee, in a 6-for-40 slump this month, is on the bench for the second consecutive game against a right-handed starter. Showalter said it isn't a health issue.

"He's fine. Just trying to get everybody in there," Showalter said.

Matt Wieters is behind the plate again today after serving as the designated hitter last night. There are no immediate plans to have him catch on back-to-back days.

"Not that I know of," Showalter said. "Matt hasn't brought it up to me, the trainers, John Russell. If and when will be up to Matt, like it was last time. And the trainers. He feels fine and we're going to keep him that way."

Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia remains on his injury rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie. He's allowed two earned runs (three total) and six hits in five games, with eight walks and nine strikeouts in nine innings.

Garcia can stay down for 30 days.

"I know what date we're thinking about," Showalter said. "I don't know what the legality of it is. It's a while. Nothing imminent that I know of. I know what date we're kind of working off.

"The reports are pretty good. He's healthy, velocity is up. He's only had one outing that wasn't as good as you'd expect it to be with his stuff, and he actually worked well out of that. He had some problems that he worked out of. He's throwing good."

The non-waiver trade deadline remains a topic of conversation. Would Showalter prefer to bring in other players or the continuity of the team?

He's always going to be loyal to his current group.

"I do know this, everybody's got their warts. Everybody's got their dents in the armor," he said. "There's no perfect ... That's why the answers have to come from within. You'll find there's a reason why guys are available and a reason why guys are ... You pick your poison. Everybody's got a weakness."

Showalter was asked whether he feels the need to talk to players whose names come up in trade rumors.

"It depends on whose name it is and someone's got to make me aware of it," he replied. "It can be, depending on who it is. Someone made me aware of Kevin (Gausman's) name being mentioned yesterday and Kevin and I were laughing about it in the food room yesterday.

"It's kind of like autographs. When you need to worry is when they stop asking. Good players' names are mentioned. I'm sure that Babe Ruth's name, he got traded. Everything's mentioned though. It's that time of the year. Everybody in the right deal is available, including you. I don't know, but experience tells you that so many of those things don't ever happen and really were very innocent conversations that we all would've had, but you never know.

"Thank God we're doing something that's important enough for people to talk about. People sit there and play with rosters and think about this is what somebody needs. I don't know. What people always miss is, yeah, you'd like to have that guy, but how do you get him? Well, we'd have to trade that guy. Oh, I wouldn't do that. That's right. That's why when I tell you all, I operate with the people on the roster and the chances are that's what we'll have and I'm OK with that. I think we have all the answers we need to have solved right here."

Update: The Orioles are down 4-1 in the second inning.

Not the best way to avoid being swept.

Ubaldo Jimenez allowed four runs and threw 37 pitches in the first, as the Yankees sent nine batters to the plate. He loaded the bases with no outs, almost escaped the jam and gave up a three-run double to Chase Headley with two down. Didi Gregorius followed with an RBI single.

Davis led off the top of the second with his 21st home run and his second in two at-bats. He passed Manny Machado for the team lead.

Update II: Jimenez lasted a season-low 2 1/3 innings and was charged with seven runs and eight hits, with three walks, two strikeouts and a home run.

In his last two starts, Jimenez has allowed 14 runs and 15 hits in seven innings, with three walks, seven strikeouts and four home runs.

Update III: Tommy Hunter retired all five batters he faced with three strikeouts, but Ellsbury stroked a two-run double off Bud Norris in the fifth to give New York a 9-1 lead. David Lough tried to make a diving catch and the ball scooted past him.

The Orioles have one hit through five innings. Gardner appeared to lose Davis' fly ball in the sun in the fourth and let it drop behind him for an error. Probably should have been a ground rule double.

Update IV: J.J. Hardy hit his sixth home run with one out in the eighth inning and Machado belted his 21st with two down to tie Davis for the team lead. Yankees 9, Orioles 3.

Tanaka is out of the game.

Update V: The Orioles lost 9-3 and were swept in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since June 1-3, 2010. They're two games below .500 for the first time since June 10.

The Orioles have lost 14 of their last 19 games. They trail the Yankees by seven.

The Orioles are 19-30 on the road.