Showalter speaks after 3-2 loss

The Orioles started slowly at home this season before finishing 50-31. The record is paired nicely with their 43-31 mark on the road.

"You try to trust the people and kind of the long haul of what you think will be, but it's always something," said manager Buck Showalter following a 3-2 loss to the Red Sox. "There's always something you get a little better at and you just try to let the season play out. If I had a choice coming in that I could have a bird in hand, it would be playing well on the road and then take your chances at home. It's been a good club, pretty consistent home and away. Not early on. It was a little bit of a challenge for us.

"You know what happens a lot of times is teams come from other ballparks, without naming them, come into our place with a good atmosphere and a good ballpark, it's actually a pick-me-up for them. Most of the time we come back, it's about three or four hours sleep before the next game and you try to get resettled in. That's a good excuse but I'm glad it kind of worked out the way it normally does for teams that are competitive."

For only the second time in Camden Yards history, the Orioles played their final home game knowing they would return for the postseason. It also happened in 1997.

"It's allowed us to do a lot of things we normally wouldn't be able to do," Showalter said. "The schedule a month ago, to think that we don't have to win a game in New York or Toronto, but we're certainly going to approach it that way because there are still some things out there for us. But we're trying to keep our priorities in order here and that's getting Steve (Pearce) back and getting Adam (Jones) rested up some and getting Nicky (Markakis) back and getting our bullpen as good as they can be. I'm trying to pass the load around a little bit. I think that's the biggest benefit of it.

"With this group, they're meaningful games in their minds because it's competition. They have great pride in what they do. I really don't worry about the next seven days from that standpoint. I worry about a few other things we've got coming up before the season's over."

Miguel Gonzalez allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings to end his streak of quality starts at six in a row.

"He had a couple extra days rest and didn't have the same command," Showalter said. "He elevated some pitches. The one that kind of stuck in the craw was the home run to (David) Ross. I'm sure he'd like to have that one back. The ball was obviously carrying good today, but he hit that ball well. I'm just saying a lot of balls went further than you thought they would. But Miggy held his own.

"(Joe) Kelly, I was really impressed with him over there and even moreso here. He's got really good stuff. That's going to be a good trade for them."

Gonzalez hadn't allowed multiple home runs in a start since Aug. 2. Showalter isn't concerned about it.

"No, I look at the finished product," he said. "That's the type of start that, if you can solve their pitcher a little bit, you'll take it. We just didn't mount much offensively. I think it's a straight-tribute to Kelly. He was carrying good stuff and obviously a lot of pitches that could have been called balls were strikes today. You all watched the same thing we were."

Earlier today, the Orioles confirmed that Cuban pitcher Lazaro Leyva, 20, signed a minor league contract and will report on Monday to the fall instructional league. Leyva took his physical a few days ago in Baltimore.