Looking back and ahead, and adding a pinch of Young

Can the Orioles play a nine-inning game tonight?

These guys must get paid by the hour.

I guess it doesn't matter, as long as they keep expanding their lead in the American League East. It's up to three games.

I stated yesterday that relievers Brad Brach and T.J. McFarland wouldn't be available. I batted .500.

Manager Buck Showalter crossed me up by using McFarland in the final two innings. Tommy Hunter warmed as the Orioles broke open the game in the 11th, and he sat down while McFarland completed an 8-2 win over the Nationals.

That's three straight days for McFarland, who definitely is unavailable tonight. Showalter confirmed it.

"Maybe some people scratch their head now and then, but Mac is so valuable on a club," Showalter said. "A spot start, he can throw almost every day because it's not a max effort thing, and he can defend himself against left-handed and right-handed hitters. He has his moments, but he's not going to implode out there, and that's what you like about a guy who can give you length out there.

"We were just talking about it. He's going to walk in here tomorrow and say, 'I'm fine for tomorrow,' but we won't do that."

Darren O'Day threw two scoreless after replacing starter Chris Tillman, striking out three and lowering his ERA to 1.13.

"It's difficult," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "You figure that a right-handed sidearm pitcher, the ball sinks a lot, but he was throwing balls up in the strike zone. That's difficult to see, because it comes down here and it takes a different angle than you're used to - up-to-down as opposed to down-to-up. That's why he's in that spot, because he's really tough on right-handed hitters. "

The game goes 11 innings and Showalter only uses two relievers. His bullpen should be fine tonight.

Zach Britton must not have been available last night because he didn't warm up after Chris Davis' tie-breaking home run in the 11th briefly created a save situation. Showalter wanted to rest him.

The Orioles will activate Bud Norris from the disabled list this afternoon. Can he pick up where he left off?

I'm not referring to his simulated game at Fenway Park, where he gave up a double to first base coach Wayne Kirby. What happens if the Nationals send up their first base coach, former Oriole Tony Tarasco?

Norris allowed two runs over his last three starts covering 19 2/3 innings before going on the disabled list with a strained right groin. To make room for him tonight, the Orioles most likely will send out reliever Julio DePaula, who drove to Nationals Park yesterday from Harrisburg after having his contract selected from Double-A Bowie.

DePaula got on the road about 4:15 p.m. How was traffic at that hour?

The Orioles won't have a designated hitter again tonight, and Showalter must decide whether to sit Steve Pearce again or put Davis on the bench. Nelson Cruz stays in the lineup.

Davis had two hits in his last 38 at-bats, his averaged plummeting to .198, before his home run. He's 3-for-10 (.300) with two home runs and five strikeouts against Nats starter Doug Fister.

Washington didn't bother using the shift against Davis. Shortstop Ian Desmond shaded toward the middle, but no one was patrolling shallow right field.

I was going to push for Showalter to lower Davis from the fifth spot in the order until the first baseman snapped out of his funk. It worked for Manny Machado when he tumbled from second to seventh. The kid had five hits last night and is 9-for-16 in his last three games, 19-for-47 (.404) in his last 11.

Davis' home run may keep him in the lineup and batting fifth, but he's just 3-for-39 in his last 11 games. Is the slump over or just softened a bit?

Nick Markakis is 8-for-19 (.421) with two doubles, a home run and eight RBIs against Fister. Adam Jones is 5-for-14 (.357) and Cruz is 8-for-24 (.333) with two doubles and a home run.

J.J. Hardy is 4-for-22 (.182) with two doubles.

Delmon Young is 4-for-15 (.267) with a double and home run. He won't be in the lineup tonight, but he's valuable coming off the bench.

Before striking out last night, Young was 7-for-13 as a pinch-hitter to lead the majors with a .538 average. He's 13-for-41 (.317) with two doubles and a home run in his career.

"For me, I know every day coming in I'm probably not going to be playing, so I just wait until the proper time to get ready and just try to simplify it and wait for a pitch I can put the barrel on and swing," Young said.

"I played in the National League last year, so you pinch-hit on the days you don't start anyway."

Young doesn't overthink it. You can practically hear him shrugging his shoulders while trying to explain how he's able to sit for most of a game, walk to the plate and hit a line drive.

"An at-bat's an at-bat," he said. "In spring training, you haven't played baseball in four or five months, but guys go up there and rake."