No good news so far from New York

NEW YORK - If the Orioles take a bite out of the Big Apple, they're liable to find half a worm.

The Queens/Bronx excursion has left a bad taste in their mouths. The rotation suddenly can't piece together a quality start, players continue to run into outs and the door to the disabled list has been replaced by a turnstile.

On the plus side, no one in the organization is trying to deflate the baseballs.

The losing streak has reached four games and the Orioles are three below .500 for the second time this season.

Props to T.J. McFarland for flying into LaGuardia Airport yesterday, racing to Yankee Stadium and giving the Orioles three scoreless innings. He owns a career 1.80 ERA in 20 innings vs. the Yankees.

The Orioles needed a reliever who could give them length and had the flexibility to be optioned if the club chose to make a roster move. For example, someone has to go once Kevin Gausman is ready to come off the disabled list unless he's sent down to Triple-A Norfolk, which is a possibility.

There have been discussions within the organization of letting Gausman makes some starts for the Tides.

Steve Johnson struck out three batters in 1 2/3 innings last night at Norfolk to lower his ERA to 0.57. He's walked three and struck out 25 in 15 2/3 innings, but McFarland got the call yesterday.

Johnson is out of options and the Orioles need to be in a position to keep him around if they select his contract. Otherwise, he must be exposed to waivers. Also, his innings are being limited right now following surgery to shave a bone spur behind his right shoulder.

I'm going to predict that Adam Jones is in center field today despite the quick turnaround following last night's game and his violent collision with the outfield fence. The guy is tough as nails. His body is battered every season and he keeps playing.

You just know he's due to foul another ball off his ankle.

It might be wise to sit Ryan Flaherty today if he felt some discomfort in his groin as he ran the bases. Let Steve Pearce play second and make sure that Flaherty is healed.

Also, as long as I'm managing, let Jimmy Paredes continue to serve as the designated hitter. He's hit safely in seven consecutive games and 14 of 16 this season.

Home or away, day or night, it doesn't seem to matter to Wei-Yin Chen.

Chen has a career 3.80 ERA in 44 home starts and a 3.81 ERA in 47 road starts. He's registered a 3.76 ERA in 29 day starts and a 3.83 ERA in 62 night starts.

According to industry sources, Chen will be pitching in an early afternoon game today at Yankee Stadium.

Chen is 0-1 with a 2.83 ERA in five starts this season, and he held the Yankees to two runs over six innings on April 13 at Camden Yards.

Chen is 2-4 with a 5.18 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees and 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA in five starts in the Bronx. Jacoby Ellsbury is 7-for-16 with a double and Brett Gardner is 5-for-15 with two doubles and a home run. Alex Rodriguez is 3-for-16 with a home run and five strikeouts.

Chase Whitley, on the mound today for the Yankees, is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts. He's allowed one run, walked one and struck out 11 in 12 innings.

The Orioles haven't been kind to Whitley in the past. He's 0-1 with a 14.29 ERA in three career appearances, including one start. He's surrendered nine runs and 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The current Orioles are 7-for-18 against Whitley. Chris Davis is 2-for-3 with a home run.

Left-handers are batting .328 against Whitley in 26 major league games, including 14 starts.

Davis had multiple strikeouts in six of his last seven games before fanning only once last night.

The Orioles' streak of completing games in under 3 hours ended last night. A 5-4 loss lasted 3 hours, five minutes.

Well, at least one streak came to an end in New York.