Buck Showalter: "I still like our storyline"

WASHINGTON - The MRI on Adam Jones' back earlier today came back clean, according to manager Buck Showalter, who spoke to the center fielder at his locker following today's 5-4 win over the Nationals. The Orioles received confirmation that Jones has some inflammation and remains day-to-day.

Zach Britton said he hopes to play catch Friday afternoon in Boston to check the condition of his left lat muscle. He's drawing closer to a return.

Jones hasn't been in the lineup over the past four days - including Monday's rainout - and Britton hasn't pitched since blowing a save Sunday at Tropicana Field, but the Orioles keep rolling along.

Brad Brach worked another scoreless inning today, Darren O'Day recorded his third save in three days and the Orioles won for the 11th time in their last 15 games. They're only 3 1/2 games behind the Astros for the second wild card and have reached .500 for the first time since Aug. 26.

Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer to give the Orioles a 5-4 lead in the eighth. He had two RBIs since Aug. 9.

"You punch back. Our guys have been punching back. They're refusing to give in, still trying to get to our goal that we started in Sarasota a long time ago," Showalter said.

"Any time you get your confidence in each other repaid ... I still like our storyline, especially when you put a little chip on the shoulder and people keep counting them out. There's a lot of passion and energy out there. This time of year, to be emotionally and mentally strong is to be the challenge, to concentrate like that.

"Hopefully, we'll get Adam and Zach back tomorrow and get back at full speed. We've been a sum of the parts team. Steve Pearce has very quietly has emerged back like we know he's capable of."

Wieters' home run off Blake Treinen was measured at 445 feet. Center fielder Michael A. Taylor didn't budge.

"I might have got jammed a little bit," Wieters said, laughing. "No, I felt good. Put a good swing on the ball and I was actually short to the ball, so it was good.

"It felt good to hit one good. I haven't hit one good for a few weeks. It felt good."

O'Day had three saves before this series. Now he's up to six after retiring the Nationals in order today in the bottom of the ninth inning.

"Yeah, it was definitely unexpected. I couldn't imagine it would happen. Three saves means three wins, so it's obviously really exciting," O'Day said.

"This team, we're built to win close games. Obviously, we're missing a big weapon in Zach for a couple days, but it's next man up. You've got to do your job. Look at what Brad's doing, look at what Mychal (Givens) did, the guys who got in there today. Guys like to be in these situations, and they're cherishing the opportunities.

"Every win counts. We put ourselves in a hole there and the only way to dig out is to win them all and that's what we're going for. We're playing some good baseball recently and that's good. I'm glad to work very often if we're winning games."

Is O'Day available Friday in Boston?

"We'll see tomorrow," he said, grinning. "We'll find out about 5:15 when I play catch."

Rookie Tyler Wilson did a lot of bending, but he carried a shutout into the fifth inning before he started to break. The Nats scored twice to reduce the lead to 3-2, but Wilson came back out in the sixth and had his first clean inning.

"Had some people on in pretty much every inning," he said. "Just playing the cards that the game deals you and managing the situations and making pitches. Obviously, the guys played great defense like they always do. We turned a couple double plays, which was really big, and a lot of times when you can get out of a situation with men on base, it really provides momentum to the team offensively getting back in the dugout."

Getting Bryce Harper to hit into a 1-6-3 double play to end the fifth proved to be one of the biggest plays of the day and again demonstrated how Wilson can field his position.

"That was a pretty defining moment given fifth inning, dead middle of the game," Wilson said. "Couple leadoff hits there that ended up both scoring, but that's a matter of minimizing the damage right there. They even had a third hit in the inning. So, obviously with their best hitter at the plate, to get a big double play ball like that was a game changer."

The game changed again when Chaz Roe surrendered a game-tying home run to Wilson Ramos in the sixth and rookie Mike Wright let an inherited runner score later in the inning, but the Orioles improved to 7-1 in one-run games since Sept. 2.

Manny Machado backhanded Jayson Werth's line drive to end the bottom of the seventh, pounded his glove with an angry expression and yelled, "Let's go!" before walking to the dugout.

"I think Manny is a little frustrated," Showalter said. "He loves to win and the fact that winning three games is the best 'back at ya.' We have some young pitchers out there and it's a good win for the Orioles today."

Do the Orioles have a chip on their shoulder?

"I don't know if chip is the right word," Showalter said. "They certainly helped us make it bigger last night. Our guys usually this type of game, where you're playing a 4 o'clock - I don't want to call it a dozer - if you don't watch it, you're not ready to play. But I think after what went down last night, I think it really helped our guys really come in with extra focus to try to win a ballgame."

The game isn't won without the likes of Brach and O'Day.

"If you noticed, I'm trying to not use them in the same line, but the starters have to cooperate and the opposing team has to," Showalter said. "Getting Zach back would be able to give us some line. Brad stepped up. Kind of pushed him back into a little deeper role and he's been there for us. And Mychal hopefully will continue to be an option. I've got Mike (Wright) back tomorrow.

"The question is whether we'll have Darren back to pitch tomorrow. We were fortunate because they're so right-handed over there in their lineup that it matches well.

"We had three experienced guys. I had Brach one time up to pitch. I'm not going to use Givens. His inning count (with) two innings. Without Zach, we have to keep a couple of guys available each game. We had to do some things that we normally like to do with a game.

"The key to the game is the job that Tyler did. He was good, bend but didn't break. The command that he has to have was there today for the most part."

Eleven wins in 15 games. Another half-game closer to the second wild card. Another reminder that the Orioles aren't conceding anything.

"We feel good, but it doesn't matter what we've done in the last 15. We need to carry it out for the next 11 or 10 that we have left," Wieters said.

"Move on to Boston. Like I said, we can't dwell on what we did today. It's nice to get a win, it's nice to get a win on what was going to be an off-day, but we'll move forward to Boston. Like I said, win as many as we can, every game we go out there and play."