Can last night's home run get Davis on a roll? (O's lead 12-5)

No matter how many at-bats have ended with Chris Davis walking back to the dugout or making a sharp turn toward it, he's always believed that he's one at-bat away from going on one of his familiar tears.

Davis is batting .163/.305/.265 since the All-Star break, with 43 strikeouts in 98 at-bats, but his third home run landed on Eutaw Street in last night's 8-1, six-inning loss to the Red Sox.

One at-bat away?

"I think that way about all our guys," said manager Buck Showalter, who returned Davis to first base and the cleanup spot tonight. "I'm always thinking we're one pitch away, one situation away, one game away. And it's hard. But the pitchers don't always cooperate."

David Price did last night with a belt-high changeup that disappeared into the night.

"He threw him a first-pitch changeup, a left-on-left changeup," Showalter said. "Hadn't seen a pitch. And I was half-expecting, I was talking to two or three people and I asked, 'What does Price lead him off with next time?' I thought he may throw him another changeup but throw it where he was trying to throw that one. But he didn't. So there's so many circumstances that go into things."

Davis struck out in his next at-bat before the storm arrived.

"It's not that easy, like, 'OK, I've got a home run, now I'm going to hit 20 in a row.' The other team doesn't cooperate. David Price isn't going to cooperate," Showalter said.

"Chris, you know it's always there, that potential. Takes cooperation on two parties."

The Astros pitchers didn't cooperate during the May series in Houston, when they struck out 52 Orioles - a major league record for a three-game series. Showalter dismissed the idea that the subject needed to be addressed today in the clubhouse, refusing again to play Captain Obvious.

"It falls underneath the, 'No you-know-what,'" he said.

Players did the usual hat-tipping after the series, but a few also referenced how the lighting at Minute Maid Park presented a separate set of challenges.

"I'm careful about talking about things that create certain circumstances that sound like an excuse," Showalter said without mentioning the lights.

"They've got big arms. They're a power-arm team. They also are second in stolen bases in the American League and first in bunt hits. We could talk about a lot of things. 'Oh, by the way guys, we struck out a lot over there in Houston.' How would that go over? OK? What do you do? Play better.

"There's a lot of circumstances that went into that, and if we strike out 12-15 times tonight and win 6-1, I'm OK with that. We're trying to get to the end game here. Our guys don't like it and they're aware of everything you're talking about. They just don't talk about it a lot because it's usually talked about with a lot of people who don't understand how it happens."

Davis has been accused in the media and among fans of pressing while mired in his prolonged slump, same with anyone else in the lineup who's not getting the desired results while outstanding pitching efforts are wasted.

"Somebody said, 'Are they pressing?' Yeah, they're pressing, but the key is trying to press with the right mentality," Showalter said.

"It's hard. Being mentally tough this time of year, the men come out this time. It's tough, it's tough, but you should embrace the challenge we're all facing. Our guys will and have."

Showalter provided an update on reliever Darren O'Day, who will be challenged to come off the disabled list when eligible Aug. 27.

"I wouldn't characterize it as confident. It's a possibility," Showalter said. "He's getting a little better every day. I'm hoping the day comes where there's a big leap in what he's feeling. We haven't gotten there yet, so it's tough to handicap when.

"They're doing a lot of treatment. But day after, even shampooing your hair or day-to-day actions, he felt it. That's kind of gone away. Now, they do some range of motion exercises, and at what point can they take it where he doesn't feel anything? I leave it in Richie (Bancells') hands. Each day he tells me it's moving slow, but it's moving.

"A guy like (Chris) Tillman moved pretty quick once we got a couple extra days."

Tillman is expected to make Saturday night's start against the Astros. Showalter pushed him back due to some discomfort in his right shoulder that cropped up after his most recent start in Oakland.

"I'm glad we took the time," Showalter said.

Showalter was equal parts amused and irritated - perhaps a little more of the latter - by accusations of gamesmanship last night regarding the stadium radar gun readings. Apparently, they worked while Price was pitching in the first inning, but not Dylan Bundy. Red Sox manager John Farrell complained and the readings disappeared after crew chief Tom Hallion bolted into the Orioles dugout.

For the record, Showalter prefers not having the readings posted, but they're for the fans. The Orioles have their own data. There was no attempt to gain an advantage and the entire "controversy" appeared silly from the outset.

"How about the radar gun. Is it working tonight?" Showalter asked.

As his media session concluded, Showalter couldn't resist again poking fun at the topic.

"Got to make sure the radar gun's working tonight in the first inning," he said. "I can't believe I couldn't hide it better than that. They caught The Tater. You can't slipping nothin' by those guys.

"Come on, man. Really?"

The gun wasn't the only controversy. The Red Sox were forced to fly out of Baltimore early this morning and play a 1 p.m. game in Detroit, which somehow was laid at the Orioles' feet. Showalter was told that Tigers broadcasters blamed the organization for not moving up last night's starting time.

As if the Orioles should be put at a potential competitive disadvantage with a short turnaround, and negatively impact attendance, after Major League Baseball again gave the Tigers a Thursday afternoon game.

"It's our fault?" Showalter asked. "OK."

And finally, the Orioles were blamed in some circles for the 1 hour, 17 minute rain delay after the sixth inning despite how the final decision rests with Major League Baseball, which consults with the umpiring crew and the home team.

"That was tough last night," Showalter said. "Got a call from everybody. Joe Torre. Umpires visited my office. I knew what they were trying to do. New York finally ... What else? Let's move on."

Or not. If Showalter could make the call, would he extend the time of the delay and try to play later?

"To a point," he said. "There's diminishing returns there. Do what's best for your team.

"I wasn't the one who scheduled a 1 o'clock game (in Detroit). All year long they've played Thursday day games? And they're allowed to do it by the schedulers. Why are they allowed to do that?"

Update: Mark Trumbo hit his career-high 35th home run, a three-run shot with two outs in the first inning to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead. Trumbo's previous high was 34 in 2013 with the Angels.

Update II: No shutdown inning for Kevin Gausman in the second, but he deserved better. He allowed an unearned run after retiring the first two batters, with Evan Gattis reaching on an infield hit and advancing on Manny Machado's throwing error, and A.J. Reed poking an RBI single into right field, the ball deflecting off Jonathan Schoop's glove.

Gausman has struck out four batters and thrown 39 pitches in two innings.

Update III: No shutdown inning for Astros rookie Joe Musgrove, who gives up a one-out single to Schoop in the third, J.J. Hardy's double and Adam Jones' sacrifice fly.

Hyun Soo Kim followed with his second hit, an RBI single into left-center field to increase the lead to 5-1.

Update IV: Gattis' two-out single in the fourth scored Jose Altuve and reduced the lead to 5-2.

Update V: J.J. Hardy hit a two-run homer in the fourth to increase the lead to 7-2

Kim is 3-for-3 with two singles and his first major league triple.

Update VI: Hardy has produced his second multi-homer game of the season and the 13th of his career, expanding the Orioles' lead to 8-3 in the sixth inning and knocking out Musgrove.

James Hoyt replaced Musgrove and Machado hit a three-run homer into the Orioles' bullpen for an 11-3 lead. Then, Davis followed with his second home run in two nights, the 14th time this season that the Orioles have gone back-to-back.

Kim has his first career four-hit game in the majors.

Davis homered onto Eutaw St. on back-to-back nights, giving him 10 in his career and giving the Orioles 39 of the 87.

Update VII: Reed hit a two-run homer in the seventh and Mychal Givens is warming with the Orioles ahead 12-5.