Leftovers for breakfast and a look ahead

I can't move onto today's make-up game between the Orioles and Nationals without revisiting last night's 4-3 win over the hosts.

I devoted most of my final blog entry to the Jonathan Papelbon fastball that nailed Manny Machado on the shoulder, coming dangerously close to his head and causing both benches to empty. Manager Buck Showalter predicted that everyone would focus on the incident more so than the come-from-behind victory. It's unfortunate, but when a star player gets drilled on purpose, as it appeared, and the closer gets ejected and the situation almost boils over, the media is going to fixate on it.

It's what we do.

Now, I can shift the attention to rookie Mychal Givens, who retired all six batters he faced after allowing a run Sunday against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

"It's good today," Givens said. "The other outing, you're going to have those days and I got out of that outing. To come back today and do well is a good feeling."

Givens struck out Jayson Werth on a 97 mph fastball for the second out of the eighth inning.

"I'm just trying to do my job. I'm just trying to attack hitters and just have fun out there. We're winning right now and it's fun right now. Just go out there and have fun," Givens said.

"I'm a laid back guy. Just go in there and have fun with the guys and just have fun winning and do what I can do and try to give us a chance to win, and that's what happened today."

Bryce Harper struck out before Werth came to the plate. In case you hadn't heard, Harper is having a tremendous year, probably good enough to be named National League Most Valuable Player.

"He's pretty explosive," Harper said. "Everything he threw was pretty dang good. That heater at 96, 97 looked like 100, so it's pretty tough. He threw well. Nothing we could do."

Machado's 30th home run of the season off Max Scherzer gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead in the seventh and further illustrated how much power he's carrying with him to the plate.

"I finally got a pitch to hit and I drilled it," Machado said. "It's one of the hardest balls I've hit all year and one of my hardest home runs. It was just a great swing I put on against one of the best in the game right now.

"It was awesome. Every game counts right from now on. Every pitch. Every at bat. We're down against one of the best in the game and you come up and do what you did. It's all emotion. He's striking guys out and walking around and doing the same thing we do when we hit. I think it's just coming to October. It's October baseball and everybody is fighting for a spot."

"I mean, Manny had a great at-bat," Harper said. "I think that's what All-Stars do. They go up in there in those situations with a 2-2 count and hit a 98 mph fastball to left-center. He punished it. That's a great at-bat by Manny and he got us tonight."

Machado definitely got Scherzer.

"I was just trying to be aggressive with him," Scherzer said. "I know in that spot in that situation in the game, I knew it was my last hitter, so I was just letting everything eat. I found a way to get to a 1-2 count. I was just trying to absolutely let it fly and let it ride to the top of the zone. That's where I usually get a lot of swings and misses.

"When I challenged him with my best, he beat me. I've got to tip my hat to him. He put a great swing on it. Sometimes you get beat. Tonight's one of those nights."

For the record, Scherzer said he had no issues with Machado's reaction to the home run.

"I didn't see it," he said. "I'm sure he was pumped. Hey, I'm pumped out on the mound, trying to come after you. He hit it. I really don't care."

It was quite a scene in the dugout.

"Awesome," said Chris Tillman. "I was fortunate enough to still be down there. The dugout pretty much erupted. It was awesome, especially with the starter still out there. To get back on top and get us back in the game, it was a big swing."

One night after collecting the 500th hit of his career, Machado notched his 30th home run of the season.

"It's awesome," he said. "It's a great milestone. It's something that I've worked very hard for. I'm at the point of, keep winning games now and keep swinging and hopefully I've got more of those in my career."

The Orioles moved ahead of the Indians in the wild card standings and are four behind the Astros for the second spot. They've won 10 of their last 14 games.

"I've told you many times, this time of year it snowballs and our guys have not let it get away from them," Showalter said. "They've stayed in touch with the competition and crazier things have happened. You all have watched it. We're not going to give in."

Showalter didn't feel the need to meet with his players afterward and warn them against retaliating today. He wasn't worried about Darren O'Day trying to even the score in the bottom of the ninth last night while also trying to hold a one-run lead.

"No, we haven't anything wrong," he said. "We just competed and put a good swing on a tough pitcher late in the game and our bullpen made it hold on, so I don't want them to do anything different.

"Darren, believe me, has as competitive of blood as anyone in baseball. He knows Zach (Britton) wasn't available again tonight and he knows he can't do something there that he'd probably like to."

It wouldn't surprise me if Britton remains unavailable until the four-game series against the Blue Jays that starts Monday at Camden Yards. A key will be his ability to play catch today. He also may need a bullpen session to make certain that his left lat muscle has healed.

Britton, of course, is hoping to pitch in Boston this weekend. And he really, really wants to end his season on a positive note, not the sour one at Tropicana Field. It will eat away at him all winter.

Tyler Wilson gets a chance tonight to cleanse himself of the poor outing Friday night against the Rays, to state his case for continued inclusion in an Orioles rotation that remains a work in progress with only 11 games left in the regular season.

Wilson has expressed his disappointment over letting down the Orioles in such an important game - every loss is another nail in the proverbial coffin - and hoped to atone for it.

Wilson has replaced Mike Wright, who's 1-5 with a 9.88 ERA in his last seven starts. Wright also is going through the growing pains that so often come from making the jump to the majors. However, Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson is convinced that both pitchers will make the necessary adjustments and stay here.

"Big time," he said. "I get it when you come up here and you're at the major league level and you see guys that, they're going to go out and they're going to play well, then they're going to struggle. It's going to happen. I think it's the norm. It's similar to when you get guys coming up from Double-A to Triple-A. Down there, we hope a guy steps right in at Triple-A and just tears the cover off the ball, but there are reasons why we have levels.

"Mike did a great job this year coming from where he was the year before, Tyler Wilson where he was the year before, and that's what we're looking to do and achieve. And hopefully when they get up here, that can eventually transform them into being quality major leaguers."

Wilson is making his fourth major league start. He's allowed 10 runs and 19 hits in 18 innings, with five walks and five strikeouts. Wilson has allowed two runs and 13 hits over 11 innings in four relief appearances, with two walks and three strikeouts.

Left-handers are batting .303 against Wilson and right-handers are batting .267.

Nats right-hander Tanner Roark is making his 10th start among his 38 appearances this season. He's allowed nine runs and 21 hits over 14 innings in three September starts, the last two against the Marlins.

Roark is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Orioles. He worked two-thirds of an inning on July 10 and served up a solo home run to Jonathan Schoop.

The current Orioles are 10-for-32 (.313) against Roark. Gerardo Parra is 3-for-7 with a home run, J.J. Hardy is 3-for-4 with a double and Caleb Joseph is 1-for-2 with a home run.

Left-handers are batting .313 against Roark and right-handers are hitting .270.

Parra was hurting last night after a couple of swings in the seventh inning and received a visit from Showalter and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells, but he stayed in the game.

"Front shoulder," Showalter said. "He said if he quit swinging and missing, it wouldn't hurt so much. He's a tough little (guy). I asked him if he wanted to come out and he said, 'No papi, I'll finish this no problem.'"