Showalter on Brach and Trout's intentional walks (game update)

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter will seldom, if ever, publicly express how he will use - or not use - his relievers. So if he is making any changes involving struggling reliever Brad Brach, he didn't say so today.

In fact, the skipper expressed confidence in Brach, who took the loss last night. Over his past four games, Brach has allowed 10 hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings. His ERA in the ninth inning is 14.73.

"He's going to get (more) opportunities," Showalter said. "For a reliever, sometimes one or two outings, it will take a long time to climb out of it statistically. You try to make them know the confidence you have in them and that you don't have a short memory. He'll get it. He cares. I know it bothers him. He's pitched a lot of quality innings. I'm not going to throw him under the bus. He's been a rock for us and will be again."

Brach came into last night's game with the score tied 2-2 and one out in the last of the ninth. But he allowed a single, a single, a walk and an RBI single that Justin Upton hit on an 0-2 pitch to win the game.

Showalter said second baseman Jonathan Schoop had four at-bats today in Florida and everything went fine. He is scheduled to play in an extended spring game in Sarasota tomorrow and then play Friday through Sunday for Double-A Bowie. If Schoop comes through all of that fine, his return to the Orioles from a right oblique strain is set for next Tuesday at Camden Yards versus Kansas City.

As reported earlier, catcher Chance Sisco is available to play tonight after his nose took quite a shot from Pedro Álvarez's left arm in a collision last night. They were chasing a foul popup and Sisco was down on the ground for several minutes.

"Brian (Ebel, head athletic trainer) said he may have broken his nose, we'll wait and see," Showalter said. "As long as it doesn't affect your breathing. If it does, you have to go back in there and re-break it.

"It was driven by the popup that fell over there when Beck (Tim Beckham) called him off late. John (Russell) and I were talking - there was no way that kid was going to let that ball fall. Think that probably had something to do with it. But he's fine and he's available."

Showalter stated again today how he was impressed with right-hander Alex Cobb last night, as he had his best outing as an Oriole.

"I feel like I know him from the other dugout. And that is what it looked like from the other dugout," Showalter said after Cobb held the Angels to seven hits and two runs over six-plus innings.

Orioles closer Zach Britton did some on field work today here in front of the doctor that performed his Achilles surgery in December. Dr. Kenneth Jung has an office in this area and he got to see firsthand how well Britton has recovered.

"Zach did well today. The doctor who did the surgery was here with him. You can tell Zach is on schedule. We're under four weeks," Showalter said of Britton, who can come off the 60-day disabled list on May 28.

Finally, Showalter was asked about Mike Trout getting three intentional walks last night in the same game for the first time in his career.

"If those same situations come up again, he'll get three more tonight," Showalter said. "You live with the results. It doesn't make it wrong because it doesn't work. There are three or four guys in the game ... Manny is getting some of that, too. Sorry for the fans that want to watch him hit. I don't want to watch him hit."

Angels get early lead: The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the first tonight, but by the end of the inning they trailed 2-1 on first-inning homers by Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.

In the Baltimore first, Craig Gentry tripled to center with one out and scored on Manny Machado's sac fly to left. Machado drove in his 24th run of the season, all coming over his past 23 games.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy took the mound with that lead but Trout blasted a deep homer well into the seats in left for the 1-1 tie. It was No. 11 on the year for Trout and his ninth homer his past 21 games.

Two batters later, Pujols homered for career hit No. 2,997. He hit a 1-2 Bundy slider for No. 6 on the season. According to STATS, this was the eighth time Trout and Pujols have both homered in the first inning, the most by any teammates in major league history.

Bundy allowed just one homer over his first five starts this year and that covered 31 2/3. But through the first tonight he had allowed four over his last two starts and 5 2/3 innings.

Now down 4-1: The Angels added two unearned runs in the fourth to lead 4-1. First baseman Chris Davis made a one-out error and Andrelton Simmons followed with an RBI double for a 3-1 lead. He took third on that play on Machado's throwing error and he scored on a diving stop groundout to first by Zack Cozart. Davis made a great play on the ball near the line and then hustled to first to dive to the bag for the out which was confirmed on replay review.

Another homer: Justin Upton hit a three-run homer in the fifth tonight and Pujols then doubled for career hit No. 2,998 to end Bundy's night. The Angels lead 7-1.

Bundy allowed seven runs (five earned) over 4 1/3 innings and his ERA has increased from 1.42 to 3.76 over his past two starts. In those games, he's allowed 18 hits and 15 runs (12 earned) with five homers over a combined nine innings.