Miley starting on Saturday (O's down 7-6)

MINNESOTA - Orioles manager Buck Showalter has chosen left-hander Wade Miley to start Saturday afternoon's game against the Twins at Target Field.

Miley is taking his regular turn. It was in doubt as Showalter debated whether to start Chris Tillman, who returns on Saturday from paternity leave.

Tillman is flying into Minnesota late tonight.

"I just didn't like the idea of ... he hasn't really done much," Showalter said. "I don't think it's in his best interest or ours. And I think Wade would like to end on a good note. Give him that opportunity.

"I just don't like Chris' chances with as much time as he's had off."

Tillman hasn't pitched since June 30 and probably will need to do some throwing over the break. He's never worked out of the bullpen in 190 major league games and has been used in relief in only six games in the minors, including one since 2006.

"I know there are a lot of guys who want to see that," Showalter said.

Miley allowed seven runs in 1 2/3 innings in his last start in Milwaukee and the Orioles could have just skipped him. His ERA has climbed to 5.20 in 83 innings and no one can solve why he's crisp on his workdays and in bullpen sessions, but not in the games.

"You're always looking for a little hook," Showalter said. "You go back through his outings, 'OK, here's where your arm is and your strike foot is,' all the things you look for when a guy's not commanding the baseball. And then you say, 'You've got to get here to do this,' but if your mind's not letting you get there physically, then that's a separate issue. I don't think there's anything that two shutout innings in his first two innings wouldn't do for him.

"This guy was just about stated up the first third of the season with just about anyone in the American League, so it's in there. We feel like from his responses ... there's an excuse there if he wants to take it, but he said physically, he wishes that was it.

"One of the things, like with Hunter Harvey, a lot of times guys have issues, but it's not always acute pain. One of the first things you see go is command. Hunter never really felt any pain, it was just command. And you see the same velocity. Through the years, and most people will tell you this, with that injury it's not just one thing. You watch and all of a sudden they just can't command the baseball. But from everything we can possibly tell, we don't think that's the case (with Miley). But it's something you think about."

The Orioles would love to let Miley leave the first half on a high note.

"That was one of the things when we were trying to decide here," Showalter said. "Chris has just been disconnected for a good reason. Talking to Wade, do you want to pitch out of the 'pen here once or twice? He said, 'Listen, I'll do whatever. I know that I haven't been pitching well.' He said, 'I don't want to run away from this thing. I want to take it on. I'd really like to see if I could get something under my belt before the break and feel good about it.'

"Out of all the things that could possibly happen good for the Orioles, that was the one we thought had the best return on it."

Showalter confirmed that first baseman Chris Davis will take batting practice again on Sunday - probably on the field - and play Monday afternoon at Single-A Frederick and Wednesday at low Single-A Delmarva.

Davis will work out with the Orioles on Thursday if there are no setbacks and be activated a week from today.

"I thought about, we could send him to Frederick and start early, but talking to our trainers, you can't do that until you see how he feels after the strenuousness of today. We'll how he is tomorrow," Showalter said.

"If he gets through the level of swings that he's taken out here, I feel pretty confident that he'll be OK to start on Friday."

Showalter said he texted Indians manager Terry Francona earlier today to check on his friend, who underwent a heart procedure Thursday that will force him to miss the All-Star Game.

Francona underwent a cardiac ablation procedure for an irregular heartbeat and he's resting at the Cleveland Clinic.

"This is very physically taxing," Showalter said. "I don't think people realize the toll it takes on coaches, managers. Guys who have been doing it for 30-40 years. It's a challenge.

"Health-wise, heck, I've had my knee replaced. He's had his knees, hips. But everybody would say they wouldn't trade it for the world. It's just a chance to impact people's lives and do something you love to do. I think what a lot of people miss is you can't live without it. You can. The question is, can you live with it?"

Asked whether he sensed that Francona night retire, Showalter replied, "I don't think so at all. I hope not. We need people like Terry. Boy, do we need people like Terry."

Update: Seth Smith and Manny Machado homered off Twins right-hander Felix Jorge in the first inning to provide a quick 2-0 lead.

Smith has hit seven leadoff home runs, including five this season. The Orioles have gone back-to-back six times this year.

Update II: Machado hit a three-run homer in the third inning and Trey Mancini singled to score Mark Trumbo and increase the lead to 6-0. Jorge was done after allowing six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Update III: The Twins worked Kevin Gausman for 44 pitches in the fourth inning, and they scored twice to cut the lead to 6-2. Eddie Rosario had an RBI single and Gausman hit Chris Jimenez with the bases loaded to force in a run.

Gausman struck out Jorge Polanco and Byron Buxton to limit the damage.

Gausman's pitch count climbed from 42 to 86 in four innings.

Update IV: The Twins came all the way back to take a 7-6 lead in the fifth inning. Six runs (five earned) were charged to Gausman, the last two after Miguel Castro replaced him.

Gausman threw 100 pitches. He failed to record an out in the fifth.

The Twins had a triple, two doubles and two singles in the fifth. Machado committed a throwingg error.