Wrapping up a 3-2 loss

NEW YORK - Bud Norris gave the Orioles a chance to win tonight, as manager Buck Showalter pointed out following tonight's 3-2 loss to the Mets at Citi Field. He just couldn't match veteran right-hander Bartolo Colon, who became the first pitcher to beat a team with seven different organizations.

Colon carried a shutout into the eighth inning before Manny Machado homered. He struck out nine batters and didn't issue a walk, leaving his total at one in 40 1/3 innings.

"Just what he's been doing forever," Showalter said after the Orioles fell to 12-12 and lost their seventh straight game to the Mets dating back to 2009.

"You know exactly what he's going to do and when he throws the ball at a left-hander's kneecap and runs back across the plate. Right-hander, he throws it about a foot off the plate and then it runs back there. You guys were watching. It's very easy to just sit there and talk about it. He threw a lot more breaking balls than he normally does and I'm sure that had something to do with us."

"He's been doing it for so long," said first baseman Chris Davis. "I feel like he's pretty much got a scouting report on every hitter in the big leagues. He's a guy I faced a number of times, but you know you're always in for a battle. He mixes his pitches up, he uses both sides of the plate and throws a lot of strikes. I feel like the older he's gotten, the more his ball's been moving, so tonight you've just got to tip your hat to him.

"You can't go up there and just sit on one pitch or take a bunch of pitches. If you take some pitches, you're most likely going to be down in the count. He's gotten better over the years. I feel like I've faced him a number of times over the years, but he just keeps making adjustments."

"I thought Bud did a good job of staying in the game and giving us a chance to get back in it, but we just couldn't seem to get a run across against them."

Colon's only walk came in his first start, making it one of the most impressive stats of the season.

"It is when you think about much everything he throws moves and the fact that he commands not only both sides of the plate, but almost in any count. And you saw that tonight," Davis said. "What did he strike out, nine? It wasn't like you could just go up there and just sit on one pitch or take a bunch of pitches. He was going to fill up the strike zone."

Norris retired the last 11 batters that he faced after allowing three runs in the fourth inning. He was aided by the sensational play of center fielder Adam Jones.

"Bud gave us a chance to win," Showalter said. "Adam had a tremendous game in center field. He kept a lot of damage down. He played shallow, he cut off a ball in front of him and ran two or three balls down that most center fielders, with the exception of theirs, would have run down. Adam was a big part of that game being so close.

"Bud was effective, and he gave us a chance. I would have like to have pushed that run across with second and third and one out (in the fourth) with the infield back. We've been doing a really good job of that this year."

Jones ended the fifth inning by making a leaping grab in left-center field and slamming into the fence to rob Lucas Duda.

"There's nobody playing better all-around as Adam is," Showalter said. "I'm biased, but both sides of the ball, a lot of energy. And he's one of the bigger reasons we were in that ballgame tonight."

"He's pretty impressive," Davis said. "I feel like some of those balls he caught were for sure hits. To look back and see him running with his head down, and eventually catch it, it's pretty impressive. You appreciate that guy more and more every day."

Norris has turned in back-to-back quality starts after tying his career high with nine earned runs allowed over 2 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays on April 21.

"I'm really finding my stride," Norris said. "I didn't have a great camp, but I feel strong and I'm right where I want to be mentally. This is a tough game, got to keep making pitches. Once the ball leaves my hand I have no control over it. But I felt good our rotation has been very good, we know what we can do. We kind of build off each other.

"It was good to get through seven. Obviously, had the sloppier inning there, which was the ballgame. Know I've got to make some better pitches there. The slider I threw down the line (to Wilmer Flores), that was a mistake hit. But I felt good. I'm going to keep competing and get better."

Jones can make any pitcher's line look better.

"He's been out there for a reason," Norris said. "We love our Gold Glove defense. We've got guys who can go get it and we've put emphasis on that all year. Jones made some nice plays for me.

"I don't want to say it doesn't surprise me, but he expects that out of himself and now we do, too. Baltimore is very lucky to watch him play every day, what he does defensively and offensively. He's an all-around player. One of the best in the game. Glad he's on my side. I love that All-Star defense. Definitely don't take it for granted."

Orioles starters have completed six innings in eight consecutive games.

"We work hard," Norris said. "Sometimes the numbers don't really depict what's going on for us and we understand that. It's a tough job. This isn't always a glamour job and we understand where we are. We're just getting into May. We have a lot of season left. We're playing .500 ball. We kind of did the same thing last year. We just got pick up our stride and keep going."

Showalter said Steve Pearce was "barely" available tonight while battling a stomach virus.

"We'll see if tomorrow he feels better," Showalter said. "I would have used him in the ninth inning if we had gotten into a spot."

Davis homered in the ninth on the first pitch thrown by Mets closer Jeurys Familia, who recorded his 11th save by retiring the next three batters.

Davis isn't that familiar with Familia.

"I've seen him throw on his video and we talked about him a little today," Davis said. "I know he's got an electric fastball. In that situation you're just trying to get a pitch up that you can drive and try to put a good swing on."

Davis' ball traveled to left field.

"I'm just trying to get a good pitch in that situation," he said. "The pitch just happened to be up over the plate and away. Not trying to do too much with it. Obviously in that situation, just trying to get on base and not necessarily hit a home run, but the guy threw a pitch up in the zone and I was able to put a good swing on it."

The home run came on the night that Davis autographed a ball for the family of slain New York City police officer Brian Moore. Moore loved the Orioles, and Davis was his favorite player.

"I said a little prayer before the game after finding everything out," Davis said. "It's just kind of heavy on my heart. If I could do something to honor him, whether it was something to help us win or a bright spot, God came through."