Game update and more notes (O's lose 4-1)

Hitless in his last two games, Jimmy Paredes singled tonight in the bottom of the first inning.

He's got to pump up that average. It actually dipped to .336.

Paredes is serving as the Orioles' designated hitter, with Steve Pearce playing second base.

Chris Tillman made it through the first inning tonight on only 10 pitches despite a leadoff single by Houston's George Springer. Jose Altuve grounded into a 4-6-3 double play and Preston Tucker struck out looking.

Tillman issued a leadoff walk to Evan Gattis in the second - never a good idea - but he retired the next three batters on a strikeout, pop up and force out.

J.J. Hardy made it through batting practice without feeling any tightness in his back and he stayed in the lineup.

"He means a lot to us, and I'm going to take every precaution I can," said manager Buck Showalter. "He feels better today and we'll see how it progresses. He's got some anti-inflammatory things that usually calm it down. He got another night in his own bed. He's a back sleeper."

Left-hander T.J. McFarland worked one inning tonight at Triple-A Norfolk, allowing one run and two hits and striking out one batter. He was removed after 20 pitches to keep him available for a possible start Thursday in the doubleheader against the White Sox at Camden Yards.

Matt Wieters is catching and batting third tonight at Double-A Bowie in his first injury rehab game. He flied out to center field in the first inning and singled in the fourth.

"Think Matt's nervous? A little bit, probably," Showalter said. "He was very chatty yesterday. I enjoy talking to him during a game.

"I think we have him probably returning on Tillman's start. It's either the 4th or the 5th. We'll wait and see. We'll see how it progresses. Don't want to get ahead of ourselves. If he needs some extra time, we'll take some extra time."

Ryan Flaherty will come off the disabled list on Wednesday after playing tonight at Triple-A Norfolk. Flaherty is starting at second base after playing third last night and going 0-for-3 with a walk.

"Ryan was good last night," Showalter said. "Hit two home runs that the gales blew back, as Ron (Johnson) said. He said one of them would have been way out. That's really something you have to look at with our Norfolk hitters. It's just such a pitcher-friendly ballpark with balls in the air.

"Good to see Ryan felt good last night. Swung the bat well. He'll play again tonight and hopefully we'll look for him on Wednesday."

I wrote earlier about the Orioles wanting to keep catcher Ryan Lavarnway in the organization, though they're going to check the trade market.

"We're going to be very cognizant of the player where Ryan's concerned and try to do right by him," Showalter said, "but our priority is to do right by the Orioles."

Steve Clevenger has replaced Lavarnway as the backup catcher after impressing the Orioles at the plate and behind it at Norfolk. Johnson kept sending positive reports to Showalter.

"Good hands, good athlete," Showalter said. "I think just a little attention to details, things that really show up here. Part of the challenge for him is he's capable of playing other places. A commitment to catching and all it entails with it is a hard commitment, and I think he understands that. I think it'll allow him to have a really nice, long career if he can grasp that, because there's a lot of guys who can catch a little bit and play third and first and move around and DH. But he and his family have a nice way to make ends meet if he can grasp what catching is about, and he has.

"R.J. and them were very complementary of him. I read the reports every night. He's really gotten after it behind the plate."

On this date in 1963, Wes Stock became the only Orioles pitcher to win both ends of a doubleheader, as the club swept the Indians. He worked two perfect innings in Game 1 after entering in the fifth with the Orioles behind 6-3. They rallied to take a 7-6 lead before he left. He worked the last three innings in the nightcap and the Orioles broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth.

Today, he Orioles unveiled a first look at the Buck Showalter Garden Gnome, which will be distributed to the first 25,000 fans 15 and over at Oriole Park on Saturday, June 27 when the Orioles host the Indians.

Update: Chris Davis broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Paredes, who's 3-for-3 with a double to raise his average to .351.

Davis struck out for the 63rd time in 42 games in his previous at-bat.

Tillman has allowed two hits in six scoreless innings, with three walks and three strikeouts. He survived leadoff walks in the second, third and fourth innings.

Tillman has thrown 74 pitches.

Update II: So much for that lead.

Evan Gattis led off the seventh with a double and scored on Chris Carter's two-out single. Orioles 1, Astros 1.

Carter just scored on Jason Castro's double into right-center field. Astros 2, Orioles 1.

Update III: Luis Valbuena's two-run single off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field with two outs in the eighth gave Houston a 4-1 lead.

Brian Matusz inherited two runners from Tommy Hunter and they both scored. Matusz walked Colby Rasmus before Valbuena came to the plate.

Update IV: Game over. The Orioles lose to the Astros 4-1 before 21,541 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles fall to 20-23. They've scored seven runs in their last 40 innings.