Showalter on wild card roster decisions

TORONTO - Orioles manager Buck Showalter explained his wild card roster decisions during today's press conference, starting with one of his many quips that he sprinkles into a session.

"We're just copying Toronto," he said. "We figured they knew what to do."

OK, that's not the actual reason.

"You just have to present your best foot and think about all the scenarios," he said. "Some you still might be able to cover. There's a difference between one-game playoffs as opposed to five or seven.

"We felt like, all of a sudden Chris (Tillman) warms up and turns an ankle or some reason has an issue, you've got to have someone who can start the game. We have two of them. You have to think about extra innings, you have to think about a lot of different things.

"You've got to think about putting your batting order together against this guy versus that guy, see what your bench looks like, see the moves you make. Make sure you don't get too left-hander where they can ambush you. You've got to look at all those things. There are so many factors that go into it and we as a coaching staff kind of look at it without paralyzing yourself through analysis. There's no perfect one."

Omitting reliever Vance Worley seemed to be the most difficult decision.

"It's tough telling Worley that he's not ... We wouldn't be here without the job that he's done. And it's one game," Showalter said.

"It took me a while to convince (Kevin) Gausman why he wasn't on there. I had him and Yovani (Gallardo) and (Wade) Miley out there and they all three said ... Which is why you like them so much."

Gausman started Sunday in New York and wasn't available. Gallardo would have been pitching on short rest and doesn't fit in a bullpen role.

"Yovani takes a long time to get loose," Showalter said.

"As much as the total emphasis is on this game, you have to live to fight another day, too. You have to make sure you're prepared because that won't stop either. That's one of the challenges of being a wild card team is that you've got some challenges that the other teams don't.

"They earned it. Whether John (Farrell) or Terry (Francona) or any of those guys that won their division early, they had the right to do whatever they wanted to do with their roster last week after they clinched. If we didn't like it, play better and be that divisional winner. We can't complain."

The Orioles didn't need Worley because they had enough length in the bullpen with Ubaldo Jimenez and Dylan Bundy.

"And we felt like, if you look at some of the matchups, it might work a little bit better in our favor," Showalter said. "You don't want to be sitting here with ... you play matchups and try to win a game in nine innings, but you've got to have some other bullets.

"I can't tell you that it was easy or clear-cut and I'm not going to try to insult your intelligence with that, but we just felt like with some of the matchups that might present itself, like we would have had probably a different roster if we hadn't been playing Toronto."

Left-hander Brian Duensing made it after appearing in only 14 games and undergoing elbow surgery.

"We felt like there might be something matchup-wise there, and we also feel like he can turn some switch-hitters around," Showalter said. "We also feel like he's been throwing the ball real well since he came off having the bone chips removed."

First baseman Trey Mancini is on the roster after appearing in five major league games with four starts - and three home runs.

"Trey gives us, we think, a weapon off the bench against a left-handed hitter," Showalter said. "You might have to make two moves to get the matchup you want. That's about it."

The Rogers Centre roof is open tonight, if that matters.

"It's the same for both teams," Showalter said. "They're not going to open it, close it when we hit and they hit and what have you. It's like, 'Boy, we had to play in the rain. Well, the other team did, too.

"We played here so much I can remember when they first opened the place pitchers loved it. I don't know what that means. I heard one about the concrete drying or something. I was hoping the concrete was dry when they opened it. But if you dwell on too much of that ...

"When they square a ball up, it goes out anywhere whether the roof is opened or closed. Same with our guys. It's going to be the same for both teams. So be a little cooler probably, which is good, especially after being in this room."