Another doubleheader and another look at Chris Davis' pending free agency

Let's try this again.

The Orioles are scheduled to play games at 12:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. They're just hoping to get three more done before scattering for the winter. They'd like to receive the gate on those games after having a series moved to Tropicana Field and being forced to play a few single-admission doubleheaders.

You want the Orioles to re-sign all these free agents and give raises to their arbitration-eligible players? The baseball gods need to stop being jerks.

Chris Davis wants to stay. The Orioles want to keep him. But plenty of folks in the industry think he's going to land a seven-year deal at age 29 (he turns 30 in March).

Davis expressed his affection for the Orioles yesterday while interviewed at his locker.

"I would love to be here," he told reporters. "I would love to be back here. I've said that from Day 1. My wife and I love Baltimore. We love playing for the Orioles and these fans, but it's out of my hands now."

Well, yes and no. Agent Scott Boras works for Davis, not the other way around. But it's out of Davis' hands if the Orioles don't make a competitive offer.

It comes down to this: How much of the payroll should the Orioles sink into one player? They'd also like to keep their five other free agents, and they must give raises to a host of arbitration-eligible players, including Chris Tillman, Zach Britton, Manny Machado and Brad Brach.

Do they make Matt Wieters a qualifying offer and risk paying him around $16 million? They want the draft pick if he signs with another club, but do they want him at that price? And before you mention how no free agent has accepted the qualifying offer and Boras won't let his client take it, just know that some folks in the industry view Wieters as the perfect candidate to be the first.

Every team has its payroll limits. The Orioles will have to do some serious stretching, no matter how much money is coming off the books.

Now, back to today's doubleheader ...

The Yankees are sending Ivan Nova and rookie right-hander Luis Severino to the mound for the two games. At least that's the plan. The Astros won last night, delaying the Yankees' clinching of home field for the wild card, but the Game 2 starter could change depending on what happens in Game 1.

Got all that?

Nova held the Orioles to two runs and three hits over six innings in a July 22 start at Camden Yards, a game won by the Yankees 4-3. He's 6-3 with a 4.89 ERA in 14 outings (13 starts) against the Orioles and 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA in six outings (five starts) in Baltimore.

Wieters is 11-for-34 with three doubles and four home runs against Nova, J.J. Hardy is 10-for-34 with two doubles and a home run, Davis is 8-for-27 with a double, three home runs and 10 RBIs and Ryan Flaherty is 4-for-8 with a home run.

Machado is 2-for-16 with a double and Adam Jones is 8-for-40 with two doubles and a home run.

Machado is the first Oriole in franchise history to hit two home runs and steal two bases in the same game. I find that incredibly hard to believe.

Severino, who was supposed to pitch last night, is 5-3 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 starts this season. He's never faced the Orioles.

Severino has allowed three runs over 17 2/3 innings in his last three starts.

Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen is 10-8 with a 3.35 ERA in 30 starts and he's most likely approaching his final one as an Oriole. He's 1-1 with a 3.70 ERA in four starts against the Yankees this season and 3-5 with a 4.88 ERA in 13 career starts.

Chris Young is 6-for-14 with two doubles and a home run against Chen, Stephen Drew is 4-for-13 with two doubles, Jacoby Ellsbury is 8-for-26 with two doubles, Chase Headley is 5-for-12 with a double, Jose Pirela is 5-for-7 with a triple and Alex Rodriguez is 4-for-21 with two home runs.

Drew has a "vestibular concussion," so I'm assuming that he won't be a factor.

Ubaldo Jimenez is 2-1 with an 8.16 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season and 4-5 with a 6.23 ERA in 10 career outings.

Carlos Beltran is 9-for-23 with two doubles and three home runs against Jimenez, Ellsbury is 7-for-15 with a home run, Dustin Ackley is 7-for-14 with a double and home run, Brendan Ryan is 2-for-13 and Young is 8-for-45 with three doubles and 18 strikeouts.

No matter what happens tonight, Jimenez can label his season a success when placed beside the 2014 debacle. He's 12-10 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.360 WHIP in 31 starts. He isn't a No. 1, but the remainder of his contract seems more reasonable.