Showalter speaks after Orioles' 8-6 13-inning win

Orioles manager Buck Showalter provided the reminder.

"It would be easy to forget we were down 4-0 in that game," he said.

Oh, yeah, right. Then came the three-run homer by Adam Jones in the fifth inning after Junior Lake's double and Gerardo Parra's hit by pitch. And Chris Davis' two-run homer in the seventh after Adam Jones' sacrifice fly to center field. And a blown save by Zach Britton on two infield hits and Danny Valencia's ground ball single into right field. And Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia's perfect inning in the top of the 13th, followed by Manny Machado's second career walk-off home run in the bottom half.

Orioles 8, Athletics 6

The Orioles have five walk-off wins this season.

"Who pitched the best inning of the night? Zach?," Showalter asked after Britton's second blown save in 30 opportunities. "That's as good an inning as he's had all year. What else do you do?

"We were talking about start playing, we call it a '4 defense' where the infield is in. We might just start playing there when he pitches. You don't have to bunt first and second because they guy's going to swinging bunt the guy to third. Then he gives up a ground ball. The game's not always fair."

That includes J.J. Hardy's scorching ground ball that nailed Fernando Rodriguez on the foot with two on and two outs in the ninth. The ball came to a dead stop and Rodriguez finally found it and fired to first for the out on an extremely close play.

"J.J. hits a line drive. I don't think I've ever seen a ball hit a guy's foot and stop right there," Showalter said. "That made it even better, all the baseball gods you overcame tonight. It didn't look like there was going to be much going in our favor."

Garcia earned his first major league win and at least temporarily soothed his critics. Asked whether he's happy for the Garcia after everything the young right-hander has been through, Showalter replied, "After what he's been through? He's in the big leagues. He was in A ball last year. I think he's pretty excited to have this opportunity. That's the way I would look at it.

"I'm more impressed with the job Mychal (Givens) did, the job Darren (O'Day) and Brachy (Brad Brach) did. (Brian) Matusz, and of course Jason. That was a pretty impressive job by our bullpen. I wanted to keep somebody for length tomorrow. Hopefully, because of the way we used them we'll still have some people available tomorrow.

"I thought Jonesy had the key blow, and I thought the hit by pitch of Parra was a big play. Jonesy, that was probably looking back at it as key a hit as we had, getting us back and getting some positive feelings back."

Machado scored on Jones' sacrifice fly, eluding the tag of catcher Stephen Vogt, who had to drift up the third base line.

"It worked out," Showalter said. "Sometimes you got to take a chance. We were fortunate. I thought the most impressive part about that play was Parra tagging up and moving to second base. He's had four of five baserunning plays here that have been real impressive.

"The one ball to his right, it was in the lights for about three seconds, he said he put his glove up and hoped it didn't hit him in the head. He didn't see it."

Ubaldo Jimenez was charged with four runs and nine hits in five innings. He threw 102 pitches, 60 for strikes.

"He had an extra day this time out," Showalter said. "His command wasn't there for him. Lot of counts in his favor and he got them right back into hitters counts. I know that's frustrating for him."

So, the Orioles follow a 4-5 West Coast trip with an exhilerating 13-inning win. Just what they needed, especially with the Blue Jays, Rays and Angels losing tonight. But who knows what tomorrow brings?

"We'll see how our pitching is tomorrow," Showalter said. "It's the way it goes. Too much talent and too much ebbs and flows to the season. We've got some good baseball left in us. We've got, what, 48 games left? I told you last year, trying to finish off a good season is an eternity. Lot of baseball left."