Showalter pregame with more on the closer role (game update)

KANSAS CITY - While Mychal Givens has been getting the Orioles save chances this month, manager Buck Showalter said again today we could still see others get save opportunities before the year is out.

Showalter never actually proclaimed Givens as his closer and after he gave up a walk-off homer in the ninth last night, he is not ready to say he is now going in another direction either.

Givens went 4-for-5 in save chances since Aug. 5 heading into last night. He had thrown seven scoreless his last eight games with an ERA of 2.25 and eight strikeouts in eight innings. But then Whit Merrifield hit his walkoff blast on an 0-2 fastball to end Saturday's game.

"We are looking at all options right now to make sure we can make good decisions going forward," said Showalter. "Potentially yeah (others could get save chances). I'm not going to get backed into a corner either way. We'll see what best serves the needs of the players and organization on a given night. Not going to have Mike sit around for five days waiting on a close situation. I don't know if it's so much (about) a role as it is, first of all you have to get people out and pitch when you are asked to pitch and take advantage of the opportunity. That goes for everybody. You know Mike has had a couple of good years. This year he is trying to finish strong. I try to keep that in mind and have a long memory."

Showalter said right-hander Pedro Araujo will not join the Orioles in September. The Rule 5 pick has been on the disabled list since June 11 with a right elbow strain.

"I don't think he can pitch in September with the time frame of that shot and all the things that go into the rehab. He's going to be fine for next year but I don't see any of the feedback that fits that scenario with him pitching in September," he said.

That would mean Araujo will need to be on the O's roster for the first 17 days of next year to satisfy his Rule 5 requirement and then he could be optioned to the minors. In 20 games this year he went 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA. Over 28 innings he walked 18 and fanned 29.

Showalter was asked if he is considering shutting down some pitchers due to season innings limits. He was not ready to commit to that yet, but the innings are being closely monitored.

"We've already been talking about that. Roger (McDowell) has kept a chart the whole second half. It really doesn't do any good to talk about a (David) Hess or a (Josh) Rogers and what you are thinking. I want them to go pitch while they have innings. Your eyes also tell you. A guy could be five innings under his high but your eyes tell you he probably shouldn't pitch anymore. It is not a pure innings thing. There is a lot more to it than that."

The Orioles lineup today has Jonathan Villar starting at short and Breyvic Valera at second and Tim Beckham not in the lineup after going 4-for-4 last night.

"I told you yesterday, we are going to keep everybody playing and get good looks at everybody," Showalter said. "Valera needs to play. Tim is a little banged up, been playing a lot too. But we are going to keep moving guys around and keep playing everybody."

Ugly first few innings for the Orioles: Well, it at least started well for the Orioles. Villar hit an opposite-field homer to left to provide a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. It's been pretty much all downhill from there though in the early innings.

Kansas City leads 4-1 in the fourth after scoring three runs with the help of three O's errors in the last of the third. Kansas City got three singles in the second to tie it 1-1 and moved ahead an inning later.

Whit Merrifield singled and stole second in the third. Alex Gordon singled and moved him to third. Then an error on pitcher David Hess on a pickoff throw moved both runners up a base and the Royals led 2-1. Jorge Bonafacio's RBI double made it 3-1. He would score to make it 4-1 as a result of two errors on one play. Hess threw to try and pick him off at second and the ball went for an error. Then second baseman Breyvic Valera tried to throw out the runner going for third and that was another error, scoring Bonafacio. K.C. made it a 5-1 on Merrifield's single in the fourth.

Hess is out: Lefty Sean Gilmartin replaced Hess to start the last of the fifth. Over four innings, Hess allowed nine hits and five runs (four earned) on 76 pitches. His ERA is at 5.27.