Tonight's game holds special meaning to Davis (O's down 14-8)

Chris Davis isn't the type to request items from his playing career that can be kept as souvenirs and keepsakes. His sentimental side has its limits. But tonight is special.

Tonight is Davis' 1,000th career game in the majors, a milestone achieved after years of trying to prove that he was more than a 4A player. More than a guy who could destroy baseballs in the high minors, but never stick at the highest level.

Davis asked manager Buck Showalter for the lineup card to tonight's game against the Astros, where he's playing first base, batting cleanup and trying to stay hot after hitting three home runs in two nights.

"I think it's pretty cool," he said. "Not a lot of guys get the opportunity to play in the big leagues and especially not for that long, so I'm going to get the lineup card and I don't usually get a lot of personal milestone stuff. But this is something that I think is pretty cool and it definitely means something to me. There's no doubt about that."

Davis has played 733 games with the Orioles and 266 with the Rangers, who packaged him with pitcher Tommy Hunter in a July 30, 2011 trade for reliever Koji Uehara. He batted .248/.300/.455 in parts of four seasons with Texas and never hit more than 21 home runs or appeared in more than 113 games.

His Triple-A exploits include a .337/397/.609 slash line, 64 doubles, 54 home runs and 207 RBIs in 226 games over parts of four seasons dating back to 2008. It took the trade to get him established, which led to the seven-year, $161 million contract signed over the winter.

Showalter was happy to honor Davis' request for the lineup card.

"It means something to him, especially when you have a lot of people telling you that you can't do something," Showalter said.

"They had a lot of good first baseman over in Texas. We had a lot of ... he got an opportunity, the waters kind of parted and he got a chance to sink or swim and he decided to swim a little bit. And he's in a place where people like him and people get him and like the end game when the seasons are done."

Orioles first basemen in 2011 included Derrek Lee, traded to the Pirates after 85 games, and Brandon Snyder, the former first-round pick who made four starts.

Mark Reynolds made 43 starts at first base in 2011 and 105 in 2012, mainly because his defense at third became a liability. Davis was made the full-time starter by 2013, when he led the majors with 53 home runs.

He remains the primary guy at the position, and he'll have tonight's lineup card to prove it.

Update: The Astros hit one home run in the top of the first inning and the Orioles hit four in the bottom of the first. Then, other stuff happened.

George Springer and Adam Jones hit leadoff home runs. Hyun Soo Kim singled and Manny Machado hit a two-run homer. Chris Davis followed with his fourth homer in three nights, again going back-to-back with Machado. Mark Trumbo followed with his 36th homer before Collin McHugh recorded an out.

The Orioles went back-to-back-to-back for the first time since Aug. 25, 2014 with Delmon Young, J.J. Hardy and Davis.

Jones has four leadoff home runs this season.

The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate in the first, but Houston scored three runs in the top of the second to reduce the lead to 5-4 after Wade Miley struck out five of six batters. Ubaldo Jimenez is warming. Showalter might be fuming.

Update II: Miley lasted only 1 2/3 innings and left with the Astros leading 6-5.

Update III: The Orioles took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the third on Jonathan Schoop's RBI single and a wild pitch.

Update IV: Jimenez gave up the tying run in the fourth on Alex Bregman's two-out RBI single after a leadoff walk to No. 9 hitter Teoscar Hernandez.

Update V: Two straight nights of me losing the will to update.

Jimenez was charged with two runs in the top of the fifth, the last scoring after Tyler Wilson entered the game. Pedro Alvarez hit his 19th home run in the bottom half and Houston's lead is down to 9-8.

Update VI: Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer off Wilson with no outs in the sixth to increase the lead to 11-8. Now Evan Gattis hits a solo homer later in the inning and it's 12-8.

Update VII: Vance Worley let an inherited runner score in the seventh and one of his own, as Houston built a 14-8 lead. WIlson is charged with four runs and five hits in two innings.