Showalter pregame on Davis, the offense and more (game update)

TORONTO - After two days off, first baseman Chris Davis is back in the Orioles lineup today, batting sixth and playing first base. He's batting .152/.232/.232 with just four homers and 15 RBIs for the season.

His skipper hopes some time to reset and clear his head may finally help get the slugger get back to producing.

"I hope so. We'll see," manager Buck Showalter said.

Davis was not available to comment today on whether he was part of the decision to not start yesterday. Yesterday, Showalter said it was a "manager's decision" when Davis did not start Saturday.

One player the Orioles don't have today - at least at the start of the game and maybe at all - is infielder Danny Valencia. He's one of the few in the lineup actually hitting right now. Over his last 26 games, he's batting .348 with four homers, 12 RBIs and nine multi-hit games. He is 5-for-11 with a homer in this series.

"Danny is really under the weather," Showalter said. "We've got a sickness going around the whole club. I thought it was remarkable how he got through the game yesterday. Had a good game, too. I was real proud of him. It has gotten worse overnight. In a locker room, it gets passed around."

Showalter said yesterday he would meet with executive vice president Dan Duquette when the team returns home to discuss solutions to help the offense. Showalter almost never tips his hand if the team is looking for help outside the organization and he didn't when asked today.

"My though process is making the people we have better," he said. "And getting back to things we know they are capable of. I'm more in tune with the people we have here and get them back on track."

He feels getting a few guys hitting could make a big difference for the offense.

"I think it could. It could happen in a two- or three-day span," Showalter said. "It's just been a long sampling now (of struggles) and everyone is wanting to be that guy. Everyone says, 'I've got to be the guy,' but we've always been a sum of the parts team here. We've got a lot of parts not performing as well as they can."

Closer Zach Britton is expected to be activated off the disabled list on Monday. Right-hander Darren O'Day was activated off the DL yesterday, but did not pitch late in a close game.

"He was available," Showalter said of O'Day. "I was hoping to get into a situation, (with us) way up or way down. First time back be not necessarily a game-on-the-line situation. May not fall that way. It didn't fall yesterday. I'm going to try and get Darren in there today."

Orioles catcher Chance Sisco recorded a caught stealing yesterday, ending a stretch where 15 straight runners successfully stole when he was catching. Sisco began the year getting nine of his first 18 runners stealing, then went 0-for-15. With yesterday's out, he is 10-for-34 for a .294 caught-stealing percentage and that ranks tied for sixth in the American League.

"It was a delayed steal, but that is an alert play by him and Jon (Schoop). Lot of guys get caught watching the paint dry there. He's still in the league leaders with it. He went through a spell there with a couple he could have thrown out but it's been okay.

"You have to keep in mind we have two rookie catchers and they've had a lot thrown at them," Showalter said. "It's a challenge for them and the club. Chance, as far as calling a game and blocking and everything, he's done a good job. I've been real happy with him. Trying to keep their experience level in mind."

Jays get early lead: Curtis Granderson's bloop two-out, two-run double to left in the second inning gave Toronto a 2-1 lead. Trey Mancini charged in and dove for the ball that hung up for a long time, but could not make the catch as Granderson produced two runs against Alex Cobb.

Mancini's solo homer in the top of the second had provided the Orioles a 1-0 lead. He blasted a Marco Estrada changeup 414 feet to center. It was his eighth homer and he had gone 13 games without one. Kendrys Morales hit a solo homer to center in the third and Toronto's lead grew to 3-1.

Now it's a blowout: Toronto scored six runs in the fourth to knock Cobb from the game and take a 9-1 lead. Granderson added a three-run homer for a five-RBI day. Over 3 2/3 innings, Cobb allowed 11 hits and nine runs. The nine runs tied his career high, set June 3, 2017 for Tampa Bay at Seattle. So much for the run of quality starts.