Showalter on the win in road trip opener (plus other clubhouse quotes)

ANAHEIM, Calif. - For the Orioles, a lot went right tonight in their road trip opener in Anaheim. They hit four homers, they made some strong defensive plays. Their starter had some good moments, as did their bullpen as usual.

The Orioles won for the 14th time in 21 games, beating the Los Angeles Angels 9-4. They hit four homers and improved to 6-0 this year when they hit four or more. Joey Rickard and Manny Machado led off with back-to-back homers. It was the first time the Orioles did that since Sept. 25, 2014 at Yankee Stadium.

After a 4-1 O's lead turned into a 4-4 tie in the sixth, Chris Davis hit a two-run homer to left in the seventh inning to break the tie. Mark Trumbo had added a two-run shot earlier in the third in his return to face his former team and to his hometown.

"It is always good to start a long road trip off with a good win on the road and tonight was that," manager Buck Showalter said. "Some big contributors. (Paul) Janish had a big night, Chris got a big blow. Just about everybody. Jon (Schoop) had a big night, Matt (Wieters) had a big night. We needed them all. We knew we were going to have to score some runs.

"After the first couple of innings, you have to really earn a home run in this park. Chris hitting the left-handed pitcher the other way is pretty impressive. Chris has had great effort from the day he got here and I'm proud of him. Some great things have come his way in his life since he became an Oriole and he hasn't taken any of them for granted. When I watch him play I take a lot of pride in that."

Showalter made sure to remark on the Orioles' glovework tonight.

"Defensively was probably the difference in the game for us. Jon made a great play coming in, Chris made two or three. The throw to the plate early on in that game was big. Janish put on a clinic at third like he has done throughout his career wherever you put him," he said.

Trumbo talked about the Orioles scoring five unanswered runs to end the game tonight. This came after the Angels scored three in the sixth for a 4-4 tie.

"Yeah that was huge," he said. "That was big. That is a team that is going pretty good over there, so we needed some of those extra runs to seal the deal. A number of really quality at-bats in some situations that are pretty tough. It was awesome. I think everyone contributed tonight."

Like Trumbo, Rickard also had some family and friends here tonight. Some came over from his home in the Las Vegas area. Then he gave them something to see with his first career leadoff home run.

"It was something special. I am glad I can give them what they came for. I didn't realize it would be that soon, but I'm happy the way things turned out," Rickard said.

O's starter Mike Wright gave up four runs (two earned) over 5 1/3 innings in a no decision. Having retired 11 of 12 entering the sixth he could not get through that inning with a 4-1 lead that turned into a tie game.

"When I'm out there on the mound, I feel like I'm the best guy for the job," he said. "It's exciting that Buck feels the same way. I felt good. I got a lot of ground balls today, which doesn't always happen, but in that situation, I really needed a double play. I was pretty confident that I was going to get it, and I'm glad he saw the same thing."

Showalter was asked about sticking with Wright both before and through the first five batters in that sixth inning.

"He didn't have many pitches and they were not exactly squaring him up. You know Mike, he wants something so bad and sometimes he can't get out of his own way. But that is why you like him. He loves to compete and he wants to get everybody out and every pitch to be perfect. I'm not going to take that away from him. We are trying to win games and trying to develop young pitchers at the same time. Taking them out every time there is a problem out there is not a way to develop young pitchers," he said.

Showalter provided a brief update on lefty T.J. McFarland who got hurt tonight and left a start for Triple-A Norfolk after just one inning.

"It is more upper knee, as opposed to the quad. They are going to see how it is tomorrow. If it is not any better, they are going to send him to Baltimore and let Dr. (Michael) Jacobs look at him," he said.