Alvarez, Davis and tonight's game in Oakland

OAKLAND - With Ross Detwiler's insertion into the Athletics' rotation on Wednesday, Pedro Alvarez figures to sit out one of the four games in the series. Otherwise, he's going to be the designated hitter while attempting to reach the 20-home run mark for the fourth time in five seasons.

Alvarez has hit 18 home runs, including nine since the All-Star break. Five have come over six games this month, and he contributed an RBI single to Sunday's win in Chicago.

Alvarez went 0-for-4 last night, with first baseman Yonder Alonso making a diving stop and flip to record the out in the fourth inning. He was batting .301 with four doubles, 15 home runs, 27 RBIs and 23 runs scored over his past 38 games since June 2.

"Pete's been a solid teammate since Day One," said manager Buck Showalter. "It's almost like you go through spring training and say, 'Boy, there's no way anybody's that good of a guy and that good a teammate.' He is.

"Once he got comfortable with the new league, the new pitchers, the new teammates, he's been solid. He's been a big contributor for us the last month especially when he's been getting out there consistently."

First baseman Chris Davis has remained in the lineup against left-handers and right-handers despite a prolonged slump that finally loosened its grip Sunday when he launched a prodigious home run.

Davis also walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

"I think there are only two players in the American League who have more walks than him," Showalter said. "He was on base four times and he's playing Gold Glove defense. It hurts our team when he doesn't play. And it also affects our batting order in terms of what teams can do out of the bullpen. We create situations where they can use one pitcher to go through multiple hitters, and that's not good.

"Chris is always a game or two away from going into one of those streaks, and I've never seen a guy go on a streak not playing for two or three days. But he impacts our club every day. And I know it's frustrating for him when he's not able to get to that power and that run production that we know he's capable of, and maybe (Sunday) will get him going."

Davis began last night tied with the Twins' Joe Mauer for the third-most walks in the American League with 63, trailing the Angels' Mike Trout (75) and the Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson (73).

Davis went 0-for-4 last night, but he figures to start again tonight against right-hander Zach Neal, a rookie making his 12th major league appearance and second start. Left-handers are batting .333 against Neal, a 17th-round pick of the Marlins in 2010 out of the University of Oklahoma, and right-handers are hitting .271.

Neal is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in 24 innings, with 14 runs and 29 hits allowed, one walk and 10 strikeouts. He's registered a 2.70 ERA in five home games and a 7.07 ERA in six road games, including his only start on May 25 in Seattle, when he permitted seven runs and eight hits in four innings in a 13-3 loss.

Left-hander Wade Miley makes his second start with the Orioles after being hit on the left calf in the fifth inning of his debut. He's 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two career starts against the Athletics, with two runs allowed in 14 innings. In his one start in Oakland, he tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings on May 13, 2015 while pitching for the Red Sox.

The current group of A's are 16-for-48 (.333) against him. Khris Davis is 2-for-5 with a home run, Marcus Semien is 3-for-8 with a triple, Billy Butler is slow and also 3-for-11 with a home run, and Alonso is 4-for-14 with a home run.