Showalter on players: "They don't scoreboard watch, they scoreboard glance" (more)

Kevin Gausman made it through five innings at 104 pitches, and the Cardinals hold a 3-2 lead over the Orioles. Twenty-two runs in the first two games of this series and two today, the last scoring in the fifth on Lance Lynn's wild pitch with Nick Markakis on third base. Gausman allowed two hits in the fifth, including Kolten Wong's leadoff single on a line drive to right that fooled Markakis into taking a couple of steps back before trying to come in and make a lunging catch. Gausman permitted three runs and eight hits, walked two, struck out six and threw a wild pitch. He threw 37 pitches in the first inning, so making it through the fifth was a nice accomplishment. T.J. McFarland warmed up multiple times today before finally jogging in from the bullpen, ending Gausman's streak of quality starts at three. Markakis has three leadoff singles today and needs 63 hits to catch Boog Powell for fifth place on the Orioles' all-time hits list. Still counting. Earlier today, manager Buck Showalter talked about the difficult roster decisions in the past week involving pitchers Ryan Webb and Miguel Gonzalez. Unlike past seasons, the issue is having to remove someone from the 25-man roster who deserves to stay on it. "They were tough (decisions) when it was last man standing, too, but for a different reason," Showalter said. "The players, it's not something where you just call them in and say, 'Hey, you're going to Norfolk. You might be back. See you later. Bang. Don't let the door hit you in the rear on the way out.' We don't have that type of conversation, especially with a guy like Miguel who's been so instrumental the last 2 1/2 years. They deserve more than that. And they deserve an end-game conversation like, 'Where's this going to end up?' They need to know that. It's only fair to them and they get that from us. "I think they understand that if we were 10 games under .500 and in last place or something, let's face it, there would be a little bit different... First of all, we wouldn't be having that conversation and Miguel knows it. If he didn't have options, he wouldn't be going anywhere. I think they understand why, but it doesn't make it any more palatable. There are a lot of issues there. Like I told Miguel, 'This could be the last time you're ever sent down. Look at it that way. The last time.' Now he may come back on the 18th and we have to do something three days later and he goes back out for four days. I don't know. Don't hold me to it. But it should be the last time that he ever gets sent out in his major league career. You're trying to throw the positives out there and have the end-game that you tell them and have the positives that you can derive from it. "Sometimes, we've gotten a great return from letting Miguel having a couple extra days. He's had 114 innings, somewhere in there. He's primed and ready to go the rest of the year. This will be the last time." The Orioles already have met to discuss the expanded September roster, which will include Webb if he isn't called up later this month. Showalter has talked to Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson and pitching coach Mike Griffin. "We're thinking about those potential call-ups," Showalter said. "Whether or not someone's on the (40-man) roster, like we've told them since the day they signed, is not an issue, and I think they believe us because we've done it many times. The best guy down there, whether you're on the roster or non-roster, and that's who R.J. and Griff and Brian Graham say, that's where we're going. "We had a little thing in Toronto with the coaching staff, trying to get their ideas about September call-ups, kind of early so we can manage that down in Norfolk. We've got a preliminary thought on that." The Orioles began today leading the Blue Jays and Yankees by six games in the American League East. Showalter believes his players are focused more on the job they've got to do and less on how other contenders are performing. "Regardless of what the other teams do, you control something today in your game," Showalter said. "If you start living in a day-to-day existence, how Toronto and New York and Boston and Tampa do every day with 40-something games left, you're asking for... You can't live in that world. Our guys don't. They don't scoreboard watch, they scoreboard glance. It's just kind of, 'OK, whatever.' You've got to assume that the other team is going to win every game they play. "You've just got to take care of business every day and if it doesn't work out that day, it's not, 'Woe is me, the sky is falling.' It's unbelievable how good this game will make you feel one day compared to how you felt yesterday and how bad it will make you feel one day compared to how you felt yesterday. You've got to stay out of that mode." Update: The Cardinals scored a run on four hits against McFarland in the top of the sixth, but the Orioles got it back in the bottom half on Markakis' fourth single of the day. All 12 St. Louis hits are singles. Markakis has his fourth four-hit game of the season. He trails Boog Powell by 62 hits for fifth place on the Orioles' all-time list. Still counting. Delmon Young and Caleb Joseph had back-to-back singles to start the rally. The Orioles are 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.