Showalter speaks following 4-2 win

The Orioles won tonight, the Yankees lost and the Blue Jays are losing to the Red Sox 11-4 in the 11th inning. I could close this entry now and wish everyone a peaceful night, but I may as well continue with some quotes from manager Buck Showalter. The Orioles lead the Yankees by seven games in the American League East and are poised to expand their lead to 10 over the Jays. They're 20 games above .500 at 75-55, and 10-4 vs. Tampa Bay this season. Wei-Yin Chen didn't make it through the fifth, but the bullpen turned in 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a game that lasted 3 hours, 37 minutes. Showalter couldn't find the right word for it. He just knew that the pace challenged his players. "Wei-Yin, stuff-wise he was fine, but he'd just go through some sequences where he was really good and then he couldn't get the ball where he wanted to again," Showalter said. "The way they matched up tonight, I knew it was going to be a little bit of a challenge for him. They grinded him out. "That was a grind-out win. It was a slow-paced (game) and you've really got to maintain your concentration because you know there's going to be a fine margin for error there. "It's a mentally challenging game because it's such a grind. A lot of time, a lot of deep counts, a lot of catcher visits. Everything's going on and it means a lot to both of us. "We were able to score a couple more points than they were." They also were able to extend their lead in the division, though Showalter didn't know it. "I try not to look at any scoreboards yet," he said. "We realize it's a 'what have you done for me' lately world. You try to play at a consistent level mentally and emotionally, because there are so many things in the games you just can't control. So, you try to control your mental state of mind, your approach to it, and you live with the consequences. That's the challenge. "That comes from within the clubhouse. You talk to people out of the game, and what they miss is that. On nights like this, it takes everybody pushing and pulling to get it done." Brad Brach allowed the only hit among four relievers tonight. Tommy Hunter, Andrew Miller and Zach Britton each struck out one in perfect innings. "We had some people rested because our starters have been doing a good job, so we knew we could extend," Showalter said. "We wanted to get Andrew in the game and that worked out. Tommy pitched a clean solid inning for us and Brad bent but didn't break. "Brad had a lot of close calls that could have gone either way. He's been solid for us. Very quietly, Brad has been a real contributor for us in a time of need. He's really giving us some length to our bullpen. "This time of year, I'm really proud we've been able to keep guys out of league leaders in appearances. That says something about the depth of our bullpen."