Wrapping up a 3-0 win in Mike Wright's debut

Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed that Miguel Gonzalez will start Tuesday night against the Mariners at Camden Yards, and he's leaning toward using Wei-Yin Chen on Wednesday.

What happens to Mike Wright, who won his major league debut today with 7 1/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory over the Angels before 41,733 at Camden Yards?

"Well, he didn't pitch a complete game, so he's out of here," said Showalter.

"No, we'll look at it, we'll start talking about it. We had about three or four factors that we were waiting on. One was the game, and two, Bud (Norris) was available, was cleared by the doctors today. He was in the 'pen today if we needed him. And (Chris) Tillman is inching along.

"We'll see how Tilly manages tomorrow. He'll be in here in the morning. He's getting better, it's just not coming as quick as it has in the past. This is something he has dealt with for the last two or three years."

The Orioles could keep Wright in the rotation, they could move him into the bullpen or they could option him to Triple-A Norfolk and bring him back as the 26th man to start one game of the May 28 doubleheader against the White Sox.

Tillman said his back feels a little better every day and he's shooting for Tuesday's assignment despite the Orioles settling on Gonzalez. Otherwise, he's eyeing Wednesday, though Thursday may be more realistic.

Norris could go on the disabled list if he's still sick later in the week or he could work out of the bullpen. Showalter wasn't going to speculate on the latter, especially through the media when talking about "a 15-game winner."

For now, it's fine to just admire Wright's work today. His composure showed in his walk total - zero.

"I was watching him warm up," Showalter said. "His presentation was real confident. He's done some things the way it used to be done, where you make every stop and you do things at a level where you're not wondering if you had done real well at the level you left. That's the blueprint of coming through."

Wright was removed after 90 pitches and Brad Brach stranded a runner by striking out two batters.

"I think his last outing he walked five in a shorter outing," Showalter said. "The tough thing today was he didn't have more than six innings or 80 pitches this year. It was kind of a hitter-to-hitter thing after the sixth. But he certainly presented himself well. It was a nice moment.

"His mom and dad and sister and girlfriend all here today. Somebody said somebody was crying up there when he came out of the game. I said it was probably my wife."

Showalter took in the moment as Wright walked to the dugout and the ovation grew louder.

"I was trying to tell J.J. (Hardy), it's safe to say they aren't yelling for me. They're probably unhappy about (Wright) coming out of the game," Showalter said.

"When you stop getting your hair to stand up and goose bumps, you need to go do something else. You're lucky to be there for that. Hopefully, we can say we were there for his first outing one day.

"We talk about our so-called prospect list. He's not the only one, either."

Pitching coach Dave Wallace also was impressed with Wright's composure. The upper-90s fastball was assumed. How Wright handled the pressure and adrenaline was the X factor.

"I think he just handled himself so well," Wallace said. "His anxiety level wasn't what one would think for first start in the big leagues. He was pretty much under control emotionally and knew the pitches he had to make. Got with Caleb (Joseph), he was a little bit familiar. Used his changeup real well, which was nice, and located his fastball, so did a real nice job."

Was Wright's ability to control his emotions the most impressive aspect of his start?

"Absolutely. Without a doubt," Wallace said. "And against a real good club. Two of the premiere right-handed hitters (Mike Trout and Albert Pujols) in the game. He really did. His professionalism really came out today."

Wright's fastball still was climbing into the upper 90s late in his outing.

"He's a big, strong guy," Wallace said, "so it was definitely a shot in the arm for him."

Showalter couldn't name a particular moment where he was wowed by something Wright did on the mound.

"I've seen Mike," he said. "We saw him in the spring. We know what he's capable of. I thought Caleb did a great job. With the off day we had before and the off-day tomorrow, and the two crisp games we've had, I thought Caleb catching him with the familiarity they've had with each other was important. Caleb did a great job with him and made him keep pitching.

"When you're seeing a guy throwing that hard, the lure is to just be a ... heaver. He didn't. Caleb made him keep pitching and that's a challenge for a lot of young pitchers when they get up here. You can see why our guys like him."

The Orioles added two tack-on runs in the eighth on Adam Jones' double after two-out singles by Manny Machado and Jimmy Paredes. Jones scored the first run in the fourth inning on a wild pitch after reaching on an infield hit.

"That was huge," Showalter said. "You see Steve Pearce stick his nose out there last night with ball over there, and you see Adam. ... Most people would be embarrassed, the broken-bat, 20-foot, I don't even know what you'd call it, duck flare going over there, and then roll the ball over, refusing to give in, and we end up scoring a run on a wild pitch. Those are things you take out of it.

"Manny single and Jimmy beating a ball out, and then Adam having a plan sitting on a breaking ball first pitch."

Wright is the ninth Orioles pitcher to turn in a scoreless start in his major league debut and the first since Chris Waters on Aug. 5, 2008 vs. the Angels. He's the first to do it at home since Anthony Telford on Aug. 19, 1990 against the Athletics.

The Orioles were 0-12 when scoring three runs or fewer before today.

The Orioles didn't issue a walk in the second consecutive game, the first time that's happened since Aug. 1-3, 2010 in Kansas City and vs. the Angels.