Meetings and Machado (free baseball)

As the Orioles try to get back into the second wild card spot, if not higher, they're making adjustments to their lineup and meeting behind closed doors.

Manager Buck Showalter likes to maintain the club's privacy when it comes to the latter.

"If so, it hasn't worked too well," he said.

"These guys, I know they've had some get-togethers themselves and we've had some as a team. We do a lot of those things. Usually out of sight because I don't want them to be asked about it and talk about it all the time. And timing's everything with that, too. If you're having one every other day, you're going to lose a lot of its pop, so to speak. But no, we've sat down and had some of that. And who knows, we might again."

Center fielder Adam Jones had no interest in discussing former teammate Steve Clevenger's controversial tweets and subsequent suspension.

"Anybody is entitled to say whatever he wanted," Jones told reporters at his locker. "If that's how he feels, that's how he feels. Who am I to judge anybody on how they feel?

"If I say something, people judge me, and so he says something, let people judge him. Mariners took action as they see fit. I got a game to win here in Baltimore. I'm not worried what goes on in Seattle."

Jones said he wasn't upset by the racially charged tweets. A little surprised, perhaps, but not upset.

"Anytime anybody publicly says anything, it's always a shock to somebody," he said. "I know him personally. I've never seen him say this. It's not going to change anything about me or how I feel. I've got games to win."

Jones and Clevenger weren't particularly close.

"I don't think we ever were friends," Jones said. "We were teammates, acquaintances. That's 99 percent of people you come across. I played with a lot of people. To say I'm friends with most people I played with, that's just not true."

Jones cut off the next Clevenger-related question.

"You guys are trying to get answers that you can't look for," Jones said. "He said what he said. The Mariners took action. Cool. We've got games to win here in Baltimore. If that's what you guys are coming me talking about when we're in the fight for a playoff hunt, that means there's something bad in the news."

OK, how about Manny Machado being named Most Valuable Oriole?

"Very deserving," Jones said. "He's obviously going to get MVP consideration, heavy MVP consideration, so very deserving. The guy's proven that he can play day in and day out, bat anywhere, show his flexibility, show his all-around game, hit for average and power. I tip my cap to the young man for continuously progressing. Now, we've got nine games to go, we need our MVO, we need everybody else.

"Defense, to me, is pride and sometimes it's just part of your identity, and I think that he knows defensively what he means, the importance, and how, if he takes off a defensive play, the implications of what that can mean. I don't even know his metrics, I don't even really care about metrics, but to get to see him day in and day out, he helps our pitching staff unbelievable, him and J.J. (Hardy) with the range those two have. And with Manny playing off the line, has a tremendous arm.

"My whole thing is how is he able to be so accurate throwing from so many slots and uncomfortable positions, but he puts the ball right on the money. That's why I say him and (Nolan) Arenado to me are one and two as the best in the game, not just what they do not just offensively but how they take so many runs away defensively.

"I feel for the franchises that are going to have to fork over money to those two kids. A lot is coming their way."

Machado kept deflecting credit for the award.

"It's always an honor when you get an award. It's something that's humbling," he said. "I see it more as a team thing. The team gave me the opportunity to put up the numbers that I have and have the great season that we've all had. I think if it's going to go to someone, it should go to everyone. At the end of the day, we all battle out there. If it wasn't for each other, none of us would have the opportunity that we have now and the year we've been having so far.

"At the end of the day, none of this really matters unless we get to where we need to be. We're in a tough spot right now, but we've still got a couple more games to come and keep fighting and I think we're going to keep fighting until the end and hopefully the most important thing is we make that last wild card spot and flip a coin to see who makes it to the World Series."

Asked what he's most proud of this season, Machado replied, "Just everything. Just overall how great the team has played.

"We've overcome a lot of things and we've done a lot that people didn't realize ... they didn't think we'd be here right now. People were telling us that we'd be under .500 this year, so we surprised a lot of people. We played great as a team, we've done everything as a team, so it's definitely been an honor to be a part of this team. But like I said, it's not over. We have other important things to worry about and think about. We're going to have to go out there and keep battling."

Machado received plenty of first-place votes last season, but finished behind first baseman Chris Davis. He was a popular choice again this year and took the honor.

"It's an opportunity that the team has given me," he said. "At the end of the day, you can't put up numbers if it's not for the team that you play for. Everyone here has had a great season and that gives you an opportunity to go out there and put up the numbers that you can. Baseball is a team sport, it's not an individual sport. You get individual awards and stuff like that, but if it wasn't for your teammates and everyone around you, these things wouldn't happen.

"It's more (Scott) Coolbaugh helping us out as hitters and Bobby (Dickerson) helping us out on defense and (Wayne) Kirby helping us out on the other things we need to do. It's an overall team thing that gives you the opportunity to put yourself in that position."

Machado is in position to make a run at Most Valuable Player in the American League, a crowded field that includes Mookie Betts, David Ortiz, Mike Trout, Jose Altuve and Josh Donaldson, to name a few.

"My biggest concern is making the playoffs," Machado said. "What's it, nine more games left? Every single one, every single out, every single inning of those last nine games counts. If we don't get to where we need to be, nothing else matters. The only thing that matters to me is trying to take this team to the playoffs, trying to get to the playoffs and roll the dice at the end of the day.

"I don't know how many more innings. I don't how many more outs. They're the only things that matter right now."

Update: The Orioles fell behind 1-0 in the first inning on a two-out walk to Paul Goldschmidt, a Welington Castillo single and Jake Lamb bloop double to left field. Yovani Gallardo threw 24 pitches and allowed his 22nd first-inning run of the season.

Update II: The Diamondbacks scored another two-out run in the second on Jean Segura's double to right field. Mark Trumbo got back to the wall and didn't make the catch.

Gallardo has surrendered three doubles and thrown 47 pitches in two innings and the Orioles are behind 2-0.

Update III: The Orioles finally got on the board when Pedro Alvarez hit a solo home run off Enrique Burgos with two outs in the eighth to reduce the lead to 2-1.

Shelby Miller shut out the Orioles on three hits over six innings.

Update IV: Matt Wieters led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run off Daniel Hudson to tie the game 2-2.

The Orioles nearly won it after J.J. Hardy singled and took second on a wild pitch. Jones singled into left field, but Hardy was out at home. The Orioles challenged the call, saying Welington Castillo blocked the plate, but it stood after a two minute review.