Adam Jones on hitters pressing, Donnie Hart on facing David Ortiz

If the Orioles are pressing on offense as Chris Davis and manager Buck Showalter said last night, here's a good question: How does a team in a playoff race, desperate for wins, stop pressing and start scoring?

I asked center fielder Adam Jones for his take.

"I just think at this time, you want it so bad," Jones said. "You want to be the guy to do it, as opposed to just let it happen. September baseball is a mental grind and a physical nightmare, and somehow, someway you get through it.

"We've been struggling with runners in scoring position for a couple of weeks. But all it takes is one hit from somebody and we can fly. Hopefully it's tonight and in the first inning. We need to figure out something, change up something. Put guys in motion, something.

"We went through stretches in May, too, when we didn't hit. But no one in here is down and mental toughness gets you through it. The fans are frustrated and they should be with the lack of production and lack of runs. But frustrated in a way to still believe in us. To say, 'Come on, guys, we're still behind you.' Rather than 'You guys suck.' That stuff doesn't need to be said. If people think they're mad when we strike out, how do they think we feel?"

The Orioles have scored just five runs in losing the last three nights to the Red Sox. Over the last five games, they've scored nine runs with a batting average of .186 and have gone just 1-for-19 with runners in scoring postion.

As they try to turn that around, they face Boston lefty David Price tonight. Over his past eight starts, he is 7-0 with a 2.73 ERA.

"We need to score runs off his tail early and often," Jones said. "He's a guy that attacks the zone. Get after him. You want to sit back and wait? Wait all you want and it will be the eighth inning. We need to get after him early and often."

Hart's challenge: Rookie bullpen lefty Donnie Hart has now faced Boston's David Ortiz twice, getting him out both times. A cerebral pitcher who really studies hitters intently, Hart noticed that Ortiz changed his stance between the first time he faced him - last week in Boston - and Tuesday in the ninth inning when he grounded out.

"I noticed that he was taking away my slider from me Tuesday night," Hart said. "When he got in the box, he was all over the plate compared to his last AB. So from pitch one I knew he was trying to wait on that pitch. And if I elevated one to him, he would try to yank it. So it is little things like that. Every hitter will give you an idea of what they are trying to do.

"I noticed he was right on top of the plate and he was going to try and hang in there as long as possible and take away that slider going down and away from him. We threw all sliders last time, so he was trying to cover as much plate as he could."

The slider is a big pitch for Hart against lefty batters, so if he felt reluctant to throw that to Ortiz, he had to go to something else.

"My fastball," he said. "I don't have any issue trying to throw a fastball in on lefties. I worked on that a lot in the minor leagues. Throwing heaters in and sliders away on lefties. If a guy wants to stand on the top of the plate, I'm going to try and get one as close to him as possible without hitting him. That can open up down and away."

Hart has allowed four of 12 inherited runners to score, but has begun his major league career with an ERA of 0.00 through 18 games. He has yet to allow a run on his record over 15 innings. Lefty batters are hitting .156 against him.

He's gotten out Bryce Harper and Ortiz four times in four at-bats so far.

He said he loves that kind of challenge.

"Yeah, absolutely, middle of the order guys that can do damage," Hart said. "As a competitor, that is your dream. That is what you wish for. Anytime you are in the bullpen, you see where they are at in the order. If that doesn't get your juices flowing and get you excited, then you are not playing this game for the right reasons."