Norris questionable for Sunday and wrapping up today's 6-2 win

NEW YORK - The Orioles avoided a roster move and won a game today, defeating the Yankees 6-2. However, they may have to scratch their starter on Sunday.

Bud Norris was sent back to the team hotel with chills and might not take the mound for Sunday's series finale that also concludes the road trip. A decision will be made in the morning.

"He wasn't running a fever," manager Buck Showalter said. "We just sent him home precautionary. See how he is tomorrow."

The Orioles won't take a starter out of Triple-A Norfolk's rotation if Norris is ill.

"That's why we did a couple of things out of the 'pen, just to make sure we cover ourselves," Showalter said. "I hope he'll be ready to go."

Brad Brach hasn't pitched since throwing two innings on Wednesday, making him a candidate to replace Norris. T.J. McFarland also could start if he's able to bounce back after throwing 48 pitches in three innings last night.

Brian Matusz warmed up twice today without pitching.

"I feel confident Bud will be fine," Showalter said. "Just want to get ahead of it. We did some things with our 'pen today to make sure that we can cover it. Of course, Mac wanted to pitch today, so he's fine to go again."

The Orioles ended their losing streak at four games and avoided falling a season-high four games below .500. Not a must-win today, but was it important?

"I'm not going to go through all the cliché things," Showalter said. "Everybody's going to have tough times during the season. It's how you handle those things. You want to be very consistent as a manager, as a coach, as a player, as a trainer. Players feed off of that consistency of how your presentation is.

"I try not to live in that world, but I understand what it looks like numbers-wise."

An important win?

"It was big just to get a win on a long road trip," first baseman Chris Davis said. "I think the last few games obviously haven't been our best, but I feel like we're giving ourselves a chance to win games, keeping it close. And we were able to break through early today and hang onto the lead."

Davis hit his seventh home run and has struck out only twice in the past two games.

"I still feel like I'm seeing the ball well," he said. "Trying to go up there and swing at balls in the strike zone and not get myself out early in the count. I think if I can be a little bit more patient and make them throw it in the strike zone, I'm obviously going to have a better chance at success."

Alejandro De Aza also homered while in the midst of a 4-for-34 slump.

"It was nice to help the team. I made a great swing and the ball went out," De Aza said.

"It feels nice. That way I can jog a little bit on the field."

Showalter lowered De Aza to eighth in the order after he led off in 16 games.

"Whenever they put me in the game, I don't care where they put me in the batting order," he said. "I'm just going to try to do the best for the team, you know? Try to help them win."

Said Showalter: "I thought we'd back him off for a couple of days and also get him out of the spot early in the game where he feels even more pressure. But somebody's got to hit up there. Hopefully, he'll work his way up there."

The Orioles found life easier when they weren't playing from behind.

"It's nice to win the game. And we go from there," De Aza said. "We don't stop. We lose games but it doesn't matter. We're going to keep fighting and hopefully everything is all right."

Jimmy Paredes came within a double of the cycle and raised his average to .347.

"Awesome, awesome. He's locked in and I hope he stays like that until the end of the season," De Aza said.

"I'm not going to jinx him," Showalter said. "Jimmy's good. Jimmy's one of those guys, he's been on both sides of the fence. He's one of those guys you put in there. He takes it personal when a guy ... He wants to stay in the lineup. Every time you think he might be kind of cooling off a little bit, he reminds you he's not. He wants to stay in this lineup, and he's done what it takes.

"He doesn't want to go through all those things he's been through, waiver wires and what have you. He wants to make sure he's found a home. I was telling him about, you know these people talk about exit velos, you know they have to (quantify) everything nowadays. Your ears tell you what exit velo is when guys are hitting up here. Jimmy's making some loud noises up here."

Told that today's game was vintage Orioles with a quality start and three home runs, Davis referenced Paredes.

"I think we're swinging the bats well," he said. "At the top of the order, Jimmy had about 17 hits again today, so it's good to see him continue to stay hot. I think it's big for us to get a lead early and take a little bit of pressure off our bullpen."

Paredes was more interested in ending the losing streak.

"I feel great because we got a win," he said. "We had to stop the losing, right? So this was a good (starting) point now because we put a lot of energy and a lot of good swings from the guys. We'll see what happens starting today.

"We lose a couple games, these guys, they never have their heads down. We just continue to work, work in the field. We can't stop. We have some good guys to do it."

Paredes has been as good as anyone.

"You have to be aggressive when you get a good pitch, right?" he said. "If you're (too) patient, maybe the pitcher is coming to you, they've got you. You don't have to be behind. You have to show him you can swing the bat when you get a good pitch."

The Orioles received good pitching from left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who held the Yankees to one run over seven innings and lowered his ERA to 2.52.

"I feel pretty great," Chen said through his interpreter. "My command was good there. Today I was only focused on the game. I didn't think about too much stuff because I've got good teammates playing good defense behind me, so I just focused on pitching to contact."

Chen earned his first win of 2015.

"Of course I'm happy," he said, "but what matters most is that we won the game and that's more important."

Locating the fastball was key for Chen.

"He was carrying a so-so changeup, so-so slider, but he had really command of the fastbal,l which really gave him four pitches in all the quadrants," Showalter said.

Chen retired nine batters in a row at one point. He didn't surrender a run in the bottom half of the inning after the Orioles scored in the third, fourth and seventh.

"It was nice to get ahead," Showalter said. "We've been giving it right back when we did get ahead, but I guess you're going to need to tack on runs in as small a park as this. A flyball out there has a chance to leave."

The Orioles finally can leave New York after today's game. They've been here since arriving by train Monday night.

"I'm sure there are things that are harder about it," Davis said. "Being in the same hotel and not really having to move makes it a little bit easier on you, but at the same time you kind of get tired of the same old thing over and over. But we had to do it last year in Chicago and obviously we had to do it again this year. You just have to deal with it."