David Lough outrighted to Norfolk (O's lose 4-3 in 12 innings)

I wrote this morning that the Orioles expected to resolve David Lough's situation later today. Well, consider it resolved.

Lough has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, according to the Orioles.

Lough can't refuse the assignment because he doesn't have a previous outright. He's going to play for the Tides and perhaps join the Orioles' expanded roster in September.

The Orioles designated Lough for assignment on Aug. 14 to make room for catcher Steve Clevenger, who was recalled from Norfolk. He batted .202 /.243/.318 with one double, one triple, four home runs and 12 RBIs in 76 games.

Lough is a career .256/.296/.378 hitter in four major league seasons. The Orioles acquired him from the Royals on Dec. 18, 2013 for infielder Danny Valencia.

The Orioles held talks with a few teams that expressed interest in Lough, but they couldn't work out a trade. The same with Delmon Young, Bud Norris, Ryan Lavarnway, Everth Cabrera, Chris Parmelee, Travis Snider and Wesley Wright - in no particular order.

Ryan Webb (Dodgers) and Alejandro De Aza (Red Sox) were traded after being designated.

Parmelee accepted his outright assignment to Norfolk, but he broke his left forearm in his second game after being hit by a Matt Moore pitch.

Young remains a free agent. The Orioles offered him a minor league deal.

Update: The Orioles were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position until Jonathan Schoop lined an RBI single into right field with two outs in the third inning to reduce the Twins' lead to 2-1.

Gerardo Parra led off with a double and Steve Clevenger walked with two outs on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

The Orioles have six hits off Mike Pelfrey in three innings.

Update II: Schoop has driven in all three runs today, his two-out, two-run single to right field in the fifth giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

Adam Jones walked and Clevenger doubled, the ball hopping the fence and costing the Orioles a run. Schoop made sure it didn't matter.

Update III: Gausman allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings, with no walks and eight strikeouts - tying his career high set on Aug. 12 in Seattle. He threw 105 pitches, 65 for strikes.

Darren O'Day will work the eighth with the Orioles clinging to a 3-2 lead.

Gausman retired 17 in a row before Manny Machado's throwing error in the seventh. He didn't allow a hit after Trevor Plouffe's single with two outs in the first.

Update IV: Unbelievable. The Twins get an RBI single from Trevor Plouffe with two outs in the ninth to tie the game 3-3.

Brian Dozier led off with an infield hit and took second base on Joe Mauer's grounder. Miguel Sano struck out, leading to manager Paul Molitor's ejection, and Plouffe followed with a ground ball that squirted into left field for Britton's third blown save of the season.

Update V: The defensive switches didn't work for the Orioles, who committed two errors in the 12th inning that allowed the Twins to take a 4-3 lead.

Manny Machado, in his first inning at shortstop in the majors, committed his second error of the day by allowing Eduardo Escobar's grounder to scoot under his glove with one out. Escobar hustled to second base.

Brian Matusz made a nice play to field Kurt Suzuki's bouncer up the middle, but Shane Robinson's bouncer deflected off Jimmy Paredes' glove at third base to score Escobar.

The ball rolled into shallow left field and Machado couldn't pick it up cleanly. Matusz was charged with an unearned run.

The defensive changes came after Paredes ran for J.J. Hardy at second base in the bottom of the 11th. Hardy reached on an infield hit and Gerardo Parra singled.

Update VI: The Orioles are swept by the Twins in a four-game series for the first time since Aug. 23-26, 2007, losing today 4-3 in 12 innings.

The Orioles fall to 62-61 overall, 17-22 in one-run games and 4-5 in extra innings. They go 5-5 on the homestand.