Showalter and other clubhouse quotes after 4-2 loss to Chicago

CHICAGO - Sure, the Orioles had a replay call overturned tonight and it cost them a run, but once again their offense didn't produce much and that was the bigger issue in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. A night after scoring seven runs on 16 hits they were held to six hits by Carlos Rodon and three relievers.

The White Sox evened the series at a win each, but with Toronto's loss to Kansas City, the Orioles (62-47) remain in a first-place tie atop the American League East.

J.J. Hardy drove in both O's runs with an RBI double and a sac fly. But the O's could not score with runners on first and third and no outs in the first inning. They stranded two in scoring position in the fourth and went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles scored just 11 runs in three games against Texas and have averaged just 3.2 runs per game in going 11-11 since the All-Star Game.

Rodon, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, showed the O's hitters some good stuff tonight. He gave up two runs (one earned) over six innings with seven strikeouts. Nate Jones got the win in relief and David Robertson picked up his 27th save. Chris Tillman took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits over six innings and is 14-4 with an ERA of 3.50. This was his third try to become a 15-game winner.

"We had two bloops in the first inning," manager Buck Showalter said. "The first couple innings of a six o'clock game, Rodon's got great stuff and on top of that, you can't see the ball very well. I know a couple of our guys came back and said they're just trying to guess where it is. You multiply it by the fact that he's got good stuff. I'll give our guys a mulligan on the first inning there.

"Most of the strikeouts were early, but weather didn't have anything. He just has good stuff. What made him good? He's throwing 99 (miles per hour) left-handed with a plus breaking ball. He threw more changeups than he normally does tonight, probably with eight right-handed hitters. That's why they're picked fourth in the country. They've got good stuff. If you look at their rotation, you could put their rotation up against anybody in the American League for sure. They're impressive."

Tillman took the mound for the bottom of the seventh in a 2-2 tie. The first two batters singled and Mychal Givens came on and Avisail Garcia's single loaded the bases. Then catcher Omar Narvaez blooped one down the third base line. Manny Machado ran after the ball with his back to the plate, reached out and touched it as it hit hear the foul line. But he could not make the catch. The ball was initially ruled foul, but on replay, was overturned to a fair ball with a run scoring for a 3-2 lead. Givens then kept it 3-2 with three consecutive strikeouts. Adam Eaton's homer in the eighth off Vance Worley made it 4-2.

Showalter was asked what explanation he got on the overturned call.

"In today's game, they're just saying that's what they told us in New York and that's what we've got to do," Showalter said. "It kind of takes the argument out of it. Hopefully I'll get an explanation tomorrow. We were fortunate last night with a replay. It doesn't matter where it hit the ground if it hit his glove, so where it hit on the ground doesn't really matter. I'm hoping they felt like they had a replay that was definitive enough that he touched it in fair territory, because we don't have one. Maybe they've got one."

More clubhouse quotes:

Tillman on his outing and pitching with an extra day of rest: "It was OK. Not good, not bad. Made a lot of good pitches when I needed to. A lot of hard outs, both in the air and on the ground. They put some good at-bats together, good approach. For the most part it was good. I didn't notice a difference. I felt strong throughout."

Would Tillman like to have any pitches back tonight?: "Like I said, I made some bad pitches they put some good swings on them. I wouldn't take it back. There's no second-guessing yourself in this game. I did what I normally do. They were able to drive the ball on them. Givens was impressive. That was a big inning, to keep it to a one-run ballgame. These guys have been good all year. Tip your hat to them."

Givens on recording seven strikeouts in three innings his past two games: "Just attacking hitters to make them uncomfortable. I was a hitter once, so I know, if you get two strikes and get ahead of them, they're on the defensive mode. So you always want to put pressure on them."

Hardy on Rodon: "He was really tough. I don't know if it was the shadows or what. He has really good stuff, so, after the first time through the lineup, I'm sure we all kind of grinded a little bit more and tried to see it better. But yeah, he was pretty nasty."

Hardy not looking at the standings yet: "Maybe some people (are), I'm not. I feel like September is the time to start looking at it. It's a little bit early, I feel like 50-something games is still a long time. Obviously we are going out to win every game and see where we are at the end."