Tyler Wilson in the rotation, tonight's game, last night's win and more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Now it's Tyler Wilson's turn.

The Orioles aren't holding auditions for their 2016 rotation. It only seems that way with Wilson getting the start tonight after Mike Wright took the mound again on Wednesday.

This is being done more out of necessity. Miguel Gonzalez is on the disabled list. The list of alternatives is short. We're not even talking cocktail napkin short.

No replacement is going to carry a lengthy track record of success at the major league level. It comes down to matchups and who gives you the best chance to win on a given night.

Manager Buck Showalter also is plotting out the last 16 games. He wants Gonzalez to come off the disabled list in Boston. He'd rather not have Chris Tillman and Wei-Yin Chen pitch against the Blue Jays on Sept. 28-Oct 1 at Camden Yards.

Wilson is making his third start, and they've really be spaced out. I'm talking Doug Johns at a toll booth spaced out.

In Game 1 of a May 28 doubleheader, Wilson held the White Sox to two runs over six innings in a 3-2 loss. On Aug. 3, he held the Athletics to two runs in 7 2/3 innings in a 9-2 victory.

You think the Orioles' season has been up and down? Check out Wilson. He was recalled May 18 and optioned May 23. He was recalled May 28th as the 26th man for the doubleheader and optioned later that night. He was recalled June 14 and optioned June 20. He was recalled July 1 and optioned the next day. He was recalled Aug. 3 and optioned the next day.

The Orioles recalled Wilson again on Tuesday and he's in no danger of going back to the minors in 2015. It's safe to unpack.

In Wilson's six major league appearances, left-handers are batting .298 and right-handers are batting .206. He hasn't faced any of the Rays.

The Orioles are seeing their third left-hander in a row, Drew Smyly, who's 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA in nine starts. He faced the Orioles on Sept. 1 and shut them out on four hits over seven innings, with one walk and 10 strikeouts.

That's pretty much the norm. Smyly is 3-0 with a 0.79 ERA in seven games (four starts) against the Orioles, with three runs and 17 hits in 34 innings. He's walked eight and struck out 39.

The current Orioles are 12-for-84 (.143) against Smyly. Manny Machado and Caleb Joseph are 2-for-7, Matt Wieters is 2-for-5, Adam Jones is 2-for-15 with a home run and six strikeouts, Chris Davis is 2-for-14 with two home runs and eight strikeouts, Steve Pearce is 1-for-10 with four strikeouts and Jonathan Schoop is 1-for-9 with a double and four strikeouts.

Schoop is batting .341 (14-for-41) during his 10-game hitting streak.

Tillman was victimized last night by a fly ball that got stuck in the C ring and a comebacker that he failed to corral. Another run was charged to him on an infield hit off Brian Matusz. He's failed to complete six innings in four consecutive starts this month, matching the longest streak of his career. It's happened four times.

Davis struck out once last night to raise his season total to 193, tops in the majors. He holds the Orioles' record with 199 in 2013, tied with Adam Dunn and Ryan Howard (twice) for the seventh-most in major league history.

Former Oriole Mark Reynolds holds the major league record with 223 while playing for the Diamondbacks in 2009. Dunn is second with 222 in 2012, followed by Chris Carter with 212 in 2013, Reynolds with 211 in 2010, Drew Stubbs with 205 with 2011 and Reynolds with 204 in 2008

Davis' current total ranks 16th all-time, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

He won't go on a rant about the public's obsession with strikeout totals, but he'd like everyone also to notice that he's batting .261, is tied with Nelson Cruz for the major league lead in home runs with 42, ranks third in RBIs with 107 and leads the Orioles in walks with 71.

The Rays wanted no part of him last night with first base open and two outs in the eighth inning. They chose Jones, a right-handed hitter against right-hander Alex Colome, and the ball landed in right field to score two runs.

Jones wouldn't have made it to the plate without two-out RBI singles from pinch-hitters Steve Clevenger and Gerardo Parra that brought the Orioles within a run.

"They prepare," Showalter said. "That cage right there is rattling around from about the sixth inning on. They're getting ready for the situation."