masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles manager Buck Showalter gave a figurative tip of the cap to Oakland starter Brandon McCarthy following a 5-2 loss at Camden Yards. He also talked about his own starter, Jake Arrieta, who didn’t make it through the sixth inning.

“We didn’t do much off McCarthy,” Showalter said. “I think that was a big part of it. Jake almost got through six innings. He never really got in sync rhythm-wise. His command wasn’t what it’s capable of, but he kept us in the ballgame. I thought the two…Orioles manager Buck Showalter gave a figurative tip of the cap to Oakland starter Brandon McCarthy following a 5-2 loss at Camden Yards. He also talked about his own starter, Jake Arrieta, who didn’t make it through the sixth inning.

“We didn’t do much off McCarthy,” Showalter said. “I think that was a big part of it. Jake almost got through six innings. He never really got in sync rhythm-wise. His command wasn’t what it’s capable of, but he kept us in the ballgame. I thought the two tack-on runs were big – solo home run and the last one on the broken bat. But it was as much a case of us not scoring runs off a good pitcher, which happens.

“Jake almost got through six innings there. We’d like to see him get through nine, but it didn’t happen tonight.”

Buck Showalter speaks with the media following the O’s 5-2 loss to Oakland

Arrieta fell behind in the count, 1-0, to seven of the first nine batters.

“He’s working behind in the count there,” Showalter said. “I don’t think any pitcher’s going to … It’s kind of remarkable in a way that he got as deep as he did with some of the counts he had in hitters’ favors.

“He had his chance to win tonight. He wasn’t as good as he’s capable of, but if we score a few more runs and see if he can get in a rhythm … It just didn’t seem like he ever quite got in sync mechanically or rhythm-wise tonight. First time he’s worked a little slower. He’s had a real good rhythm to him. But you’ve got to take your hats off to Oakland. They might have had something to do with that, too.”

Kevin Gregg struck out two in a perfect ninth in his first appearance since April 18.

“I thought Kevin pitched a real good ninth inning after eight days off, so I was proud of him,” Showalter said.

And finally, Deadspin provides video of plate umpire Jeff Kellogg tackling the fan. You miss everything that led up to it, but you’ll get the point.