The rotation, Phillips' return and more (O's down 5-3)

NEW YORK - The Orioles' pitching plans have become clearer as the rain moves out of the Bronx.

David Hess and Andrew Cashner are starting in today's single-admission doubleheader. Dan Straily flew to Cleveland today and is starting Thursday night in the series opener against the Indians, followed by Dylan Bundy on Friday and left-hander John Means on Saturday.

The starter for Sunday is TBD based on today's doubleheader. Manager Brandon Hyde won't let anyone work on short rest and he'll need to find a pitcher to fill that spot.

Hyde allowed Cashner, as the more experienced pitcher, to choose which end of the doubleheader to start.

"Hess just threw briefly out of the 'pen (Monday), so he's ready to go," Hyde said. "Cash was supposed to start yesterday, so we just pushed him back to today. And from the order standpoint, we talked to Cash last night, a more veteran guy, and see which game he'd prefer to throw and he wanted the second game, so that's how we lined it up."

Reliever Evan Phillips has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk as the 26th man and he's available for both games.

"It's a predominantly right-handed lineup," Hyde said. "We felt like we'd like to have an extra right-handed arm in the bullpen. That's why Evan's here."

Tides manager Gary Kendall told Phillips around noon yesterday at the team hotel in Toledo that the Orioles were recalling him. He hasn't pitched since they optioned him on Saturday.

"I'm very fresh," he said. "I've had a couple days off and then I played catch a couple times, as well, so fresh and ready to go."

The Orioles optioned Phillips after he allowed 10 runs and 14 hits with 10 walks in 12 2/3 innings. He didn't have much time to work on his command and delivery before rejoining the club for the doubleheader.

"I treat every day like a very serious workday, so anytime I get to play catch I'm always focused on what I need to improve on," he said. "I had a couple opportunities to do that even though I didn't get to pitch down there. I was still getting my work in, so I feel like I got to iron out a couple things and I still feel ready to go here."

Phillips didn't allow a run in 9 2/3 innings in spring training, but he began to struggle after the Orioles recalled him. He surrendered two earned runs in each of his last three appearances.

"I think it was a speed bump," he said. "It's difficult to be consistent. It's a very tough league up here, so as a pitcher I think I need to make adjustments better pitch to pitch instead of appearance to appearance. I need to be able to make those adjustments within that inning instead of letting frustration build up to the point where I lose total control of the situation and of myself.

"I think it's very important to go out there and try to be consistent and be able to make adjustments on the fly and be really aggressive and get after hitters."

Walks became an issue, especially the leadoff variety.

"I think it's difficult," he said. "You never want to start an inning with a walk. It puts you behind the eight ball from the get-go. So really being aggressive and trying to attack the first hitter, go one step at a time, one pitch at a time."

Left-hander Josh Rogers was scratched yesterday from his start with Norfolk, but it may be to keep him available as an option for the Indians series, depending on how many relievers are needed today.

"I think there are a lot of things that are in consideration when you have a doubleheader," Hyde said. "It's not only about today or tomorrow. You just don't know how today's going to go. It could go two games at 15 innings. Your starter doesn't last long and all of a sudden you're short the next couple of days.

"I think that you're just always cautious about how today's going to play out, any doubleheader day's going to play out, so you hope that both of our starters can go deep in the game, we don't have much bullpen usage and we're good to go the next couple of days.

"I don't want to get too into it, but there's a lot of things that can happen in a day like today, so that's why."

As Hyde spoke in the visiting dugout, a field that held standing water on Monday was dry and soaking in the sunshine. The Orioles were able to take batting practice. A sense of normacy had returned.

"Looking forward to getting out there," Hyde said. "It's a beautiful day and we're just happy to be on the field."

Update: Trey Mancini homered off J.A. Happ in the first inning for a 1-0 lead.

Update II: Gary Sánchez homered off Hess with two outs in the bottom of the first for a 1-1 tie.

Update III: Austin Wynns doubled in the second to score Hanser Alberto, who reached on an infield hit, and give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. But Gleyber Torres homered to lead off the bottom of the second.

Update IV: Cameron Maybin also homered off Hess in the second to give New York a 3-2 lead. Renato Núñez homered in the top of the fourth to tie the game and interrupt his slump, but Torres homered again leading off the bottom of the inning.

Update V: The Yankees took a 5-3 lead in the fourth after Mancini's three-base error and Mike Tauchman's single.