John Russell on O's slow start: "We're not going to panic" (O's win 5-4)

Protesters returned to Camden Yards during batting practice and police were forced to close the Gate H entrance into the ballpark. A window was smashed at Dempsey's Brew Pub.

This will be a late-arriving crowd tonight with several road closures. The ballpark is about 40 percent full as lineup cards are exchanged at home plate.

The Orioles were 9-9 after 18 games last season on their way to a division title and berth in the American League Championship Series. A win tonight would snap a five-game losing streak and leave their record at 8-10.

Not much difference, right?

The perception is altered by the Orioles' poor pitching - the staff and rotation rank last in the majors in ERA - and bevy of mistakes in the field and on the basepaths.

Bench coach John Russell, serving as acting manager tonight while Buck Showalter is in Nashville, said there isn't a sense of panic around the club. It just doesn't happen here.

"That's the one thing I really feel around here is we don't have panicky guys and I think it's the atmosphere Buck has created along with our coaching staff," Russell said. "We're not going to panic. We're going to go out and do it. We're going to fix it and we're going to get it right.

"Even when we're winning, we're the same. I don't care if we're winning 10-1, if we see something we need to address, we will. That goes with the positive, as well. That's what we're talking about. It's not going to change. I don't see panic. Stay in the moment, don't try to do too much. And that's what we always stress. We've stressed it since Day One with Adam (Jones), with our pitching staff. Stay within yourself. Guys do it. Sometimes they don't.

"It's a tough stage to play on every night and emotions run high sometimes and you're going to swing at a pitch in the dirt or a pitch over your head. When I played I did it way too often. But you're also going to barrel up some balls, you're also going to make quality pitches when you need to. That's how we win. That's how we've won here every year that I've been here."

The Orioles posted a 12-12 record in April last year and went 15-15 in May. They went 16-12 in June and 17-8 in July.

You know the rest of the story.

"You look at last year, we started out and it was 'What's wrong with the Orioles?'" Russell said. "Our record's not a whole lot different than it was. Next thing you know, things started clicking, so we're not going to panic. I don't see that. I really don't.

"Guys are really trying to do things to help us win and it's not happening as much as we'd like right now, so people looking from the outside might say, 'Well, they're panicking because they're not getting it done.' When we get it done, does that mean we're not panicking? I mean, it's a fine line for me, but I don't see guys stressing out, sitting at their lockers pulling their hair out. It's one game at a time and these guys are the most resilient bunch I've ever seen."

Update: The Orioles scored twice in the first inning on doubles by Alejandro De Aza and Jimmy Paredes and Chris Davis' sacrifice fly, but Wei-Yin Chen walked leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez in the second and served up a two-run homer to Mike Napoli, the ball slamming off the right field foul pole.

Those walks are killer.

De Aza was 1-for-18 before his double.

Update II: Paredes is a triple short of the cycle after his home run in the fifth gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

Paredes is 11-for-28 with three home runs and six RBIs since coming off the disabled list. His three hits tonight tie his career high, and it's the first time he's homered in back-to-back games.

Chen has thrown 84 pitches in six innings. He's retired six in a row.

Update III: Chen tied his career high by working eight innings. He retired the last 12 batters.

Chen allowed two runs and four hits, walked one, struck out five and surrendered a home run. He was outstanding and exactly what the Orioles needed from their rotation.

Update IV: Manny Machado committed another error, throwing away a potential double play ball and allowing the tying run to score in the ninth.

Zach Britton walked leadoff hitter Dustin Pedroia, and Hanley Ramirez and Mike Napoli reached on infield hits with one out. Machado fielded Pablo Sandoval's grounder, stepped on the bag and threw wide of first for his fourth error of the season and his second in two nights.

The game should have ended. Britton knows he shouldn't have walked the leadoff batter.

Update V: Xander Bogaerts homered on the first pitch from Brad Brach in the 10th to break a 3-3 tie.

Fans have been told to remain inside the ballpark due to safety concerns. We're on lockdown.

Update VI: Jones tripled to lead off the bottom of the 10th, the ball scooting past Craig, and Davis lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game 4-4. David Lough followed with his first career walk-off home run, and the Orioles snapped their losing streak at five games with a 5-4 victory.

Fans now allowed to leave the ballpark. Be safe.