Showalter on Hardy and 4-3 win (Bundy scratched Tuesday)

Orioles manager Buck Showalter expressed confidence that shortstop J.J. Hardy will be in Tuesday night's lineup against the Astros after leaving today's game prior to the top of the eighth inning with back tightness.

"I think he's going to be OK tomorrow," Showalter said following a 4-3 win at Camden Yards. "He was fine yesterday and had nothing. He came in today with a stiff back, and as the morning went on, he felt fine. Went out and took ground balls and some light swings. Thought he was going to be OK.

"It didn't get any worse, he said, but that last trot down the first base line going to second, I didn't like it. He wanted to stay in the game, but we have a long turnaround finally between now and tomorrow. He said it was the beds in Miami. He's got his own real firm bed. He's had some issues with that. Maybe we need to travel with a harder bed."

Hardy has experienced back spasms in the past, which made Showalter more cautious with him.

"It will crop up every now and then," Showalter said. "We've been able to manage it for the whole period he's been here and will be here. I think it will be something that is one of reasons why yesterday, even though he had no symptoms of anything, just wanted to give him a day. Usually that irritates something. There were some medical terms they were using in there, but some joint or something was irritated.

"I talked to him today because J.J. is one of those posture guys. He's always sitting in the dugout like this (straight up) and I was asking him about it today. I said, 'I noticed how much you were sitting in the dugout.' There wasn't a whole bunch of offensive action on the field yesterday, so I had a chance to look in the dugout. He always sits like that in between innings and everything.

"We've all had some back issues, but I don't think it's going to be anything long-term."

Wei-Yin Chen was spared a loss when Steve Pearce smacked a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Dallas Keuchel to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead. Chen allowed a season-high 11 hits in five innings.

"The key is only letting them score three," Showalter said. "Wei-Yin, it's tough. It's a hot, sticky day. First one in a while, and the first two batters break a bat for a base hit and he bows up and gets through that inning and didn't let it get away from him. There are some balls hit hard, but the one that hurt him was the one that found chalk over there over the first baseman's head. I'd like to see us make a better throw there. We had a play."

The bullpen turned in four perfect innings, with Brad Brach getting the win after retiring all six batters and striking out three. Zach Britton recorded his 11th save.

"Brad very quietly has been pretty solid," Showalter said. "I thought Caleb (Joseph) handled everybody real well today.

"Zach, it's not like you feel you stole one because you earn everything in this league, but you usually do it because you pitch well. They had their pops at Wei-Yin, but he held them when he had to. It's not easy. Pitching is hard, especially against that team. They have a lot of ways to beat you."

Showalter exhibited tremendous confidence in Oliver Drake by allowing him to work the eighth in a one-run game. Drake retired the side with two strikeouts.

"I think he's a good matchup against left-handed hitters," Showalter said. "I knew where they were in the lineup. I wasn't going to use Brian (Matusz) today. He's our best left-on-left. That's something he brings. It worked out today.

"It all works off his fastball command. He has a way to make you look between velocities. And even if you're right on one of the velocities, you might not get there. You saw it on the fastball to (Colby) Rasmus. He doesn't have to throw 95 (mph) to get a reaction. When you have to defend the other speed pitch, that 90 looks 100 (mph)."

Showalter is hoping that today's successful rally is a sign that more are coming.

"Even if you do it one day, the momentum is always the next day's pitcher," Showalter said. "To beat a good pitcher like him, it's really a challenge. But in order to beat him, you have to pitch well. That's what our four guys did."

Pearce was batting .188 before today.

"He's starting to figure it out," Hardy said. "The last week or so he's starting to swing the bat really good."

Joseph also had a two-run homer off Keuchel, who lost for the first time since August 2014.

"Couple big knocks, Caleb and Pearce coming through with a couple two-run homers," Hardy said. "He's tough. His ball moves a lot and he can sure pinpoint it. I think he must have missed his spot a couple times today, but overall he's good. He's real good."

The Orioles didn't leave a runner on base. They also improved to 27-3 when Joseph has an RBI in his career.

Note: Dylan Bundy has been scratched from Tuesday night's start at Double-A Bowie with stiffness in his right shoulder. The Orioles say it could be tendinitis.

Bundy will have the shoulder examined on Tuesday.

Bundy is 0-3 with a 3.68 ERA in eight starts. He has walked five and struck out 23 in 22 innings.