Showalter on Flaherty, Wieters, Bridwell, Bundy and more (O's win 4-2)

Ryan Flaherty isn't in the Orioles' lineup tonight and he's started only once since July 29. He received an at-bat yesterday and struck out looking. He was on deck with first baseman Ike Davis pitching for the Athletics when the final out was recorded.

Flaherty could use a favorable matchup. He really could use a hit.

Flaherty is in an 0-for-34 slump that's the longest in franchise history since 1974. He continues to work with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh.

"I think Ryan a month or two ago or whatever he was hitting .250 or whatever and there was some clamoring for him to play more," said manager Buck Showalter. "I think he knows what we think of him. We have a long (relationship with him).

"He has a track record. This is a guy that started in the playoffs for us and has done well. It's just sometimes up here, like yesterday's game, things snowball. And it's constantly in your face every day. You've got to be pretty strong mentally and emotionally to get through things like that. He's got a good support group around him and he'll be a good hitter for us again.

"To do that job that he has to do for us, you have to be able to have periods where you're not consistently getting at-bats. It's frustrating for him because he knows he's capable of better. It seems like every time a guy is making the tough pitch on him. Guys, they're making a lot of mistakes yesterday, and he comes up there and they paint him (on the corners) three times, breaking ball. When it rains, it pours."

The weather was nice today, which allowed Matt Wieters to run the bases and test his right hamstring. He's expected in the lineup Tuesday against the Mets.

"Matt had a real good day today," Showalter said. "He ran the bases and felt good. If he feels no repercussions from the workout today, we'll consider playing him tomorrow. Could use him today if I had to. I'd like not to. That would put us past the point of worrying about the backdate days. I didn't want to put him in the game yesterday in case today's running didn't go well. I didn't want to lose those days.

"It's as good a day for him as you could hope for. See what tomorrow brings. Ran the bases, ran a double out, said he felt good."

Double-A Bowie pitcher Parker Bridwell, 24, received an platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow. He's 4-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 18 starts this season.

Bridwell, a ninth-round pick in the 2009 draft out of Hereford (Tx.) High School, remains an intriguing prospect for the Orioles.

"Structurally he's in good shape," Showalter said. "I like Parker Bridwell. I think he's a guy under the radar. I really do. Just his name. What a great big league name, Parker Bridwell.

"No, he's a big, strong kid. He's a guy that I was glad to see him get through the Rule 5 stuff."

Showalter was asked whether he's concerned about Dylan Bundy, who's unable to pitch due to right shoulder tendinitis and will be examined again by Dr. James Andrews on Aug. 31.

"We always do," he said. "I'd be less than frank. Any time somebody's had some inactivity or whatever. But half full.

"Something a lot of guys go through. Obviously, I know a lot of things that I'm not going to sit here and elaborate on, what's going on. I'll be anxious to see what Dr. Andrews thinks on the 31st. Kind of like the off time we had with some guys who have really resolved the problems that they had. I hope I have a lot better feel for the problem he's got compared to what everybody else does, but it's not something that makes that an issue yet."

Mike Wright threw 45 pitches today off a half-mound and will progress to a regular mound on Wednesday. Or "the big boy mound," as Showalter called it.

Wright eventually will go on an injury rehab assignment.

"He's still a little tentative running, but a couple sides, he's probably still a ways away," Showalter said. "He'll pick it up pretty quickly once he gets in a competitive game. They need him."

Chaz Roe's right shoulder has improved since his cortisone injection, which validates the Orioles' decision to place him on the disabled list.

"Chaz is doing good," Showalter said. "I think he knows this was the right thing. Richie (Bancells) is talking about him throwing down in the bullpen sometime around mid-week."

Update: Former Oriole Danny Valencia homered to right field on Chris Tillman's first pitch of the second inning to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. Tillman retired the A's in order on 15 pitches in the first inning.

Sonny Gray retired the Orioles in order on eight pitches in the bottom of the first.

Update II: Steve Clevenger had a career-high four hits yesterday, and he hit a three-run homer tonight off Sonny Gray in the fourth inning to give the Orioles a 3-1 lead.

All three runs are unearned after second baseman Marcus Semien's two-out error. Jonathan Schoop followed with his second hit.

Update III: Mark Canha led off the sixth by homering to right field on an 0-2 pitch from Tillman. The Orioles lead is down to 3-2.

Update IV: J.J. Hardy singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth and scored with two outs on Caleb Joseph's double to left-center field. Hardy was 2-for-32 in his last nine games.

The Orioles are 37-5 when Joseph has at least one RBI and 18-2 when he has multiple RBIs.

Tillman allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings, with three walks, three strikeouts and two home runs. He threw 101 pitches, 61 for strikes.

Update V: The Orioles win 4-2 and complete their first four-game sweep of the A's in Baltimore. They hadn't swept Oakland in any four-game series since 1987.

Zach Britton recorded his 29th save after Darren O'Day retired the side in order in the eighth.

The Orioles (61-56) are five games above .500 for the first time since July 2.