masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Rangers rallied to beat the Rays last night, allowing the Orioles to stay in third place in the American League East.
They won’t be covering the lockers in plastic. This is nothing to celebrate. Keep the champagne on ice.
Chris Tillman insisted after last night’s 8-3 loss that his right shoulder is fine. He gave up three home runs in 2 2/3 innings and his fastball mostly was 89-91 mph, but he said it wasn’t a physical issue.
“I feel really good, actually,” he said. “It’s been getting…

The Rangers rallied to beat the Rays last night, allowing the Orioles to stay in third place in the American League East.

They won’t be covering the lockers in plastic. This is nothing to celebrate. Keep the champagne on ice.

Chris Tillman insisted after last night’s 8-3 loss that his right shoulder is fine. He gave up three home runs in 2 2/3 innings and his fastball mostly was 89-91 mph, but he said it wasn’t a physical issue.

“I feel really good, actually,” he said. “It’s been getting better every start. To be honest with you, I haven’t thought about it since I got back here. That’s an excuse and that’s not one I’m going to use. That’s behind me.”

The lack of zip on his fastball naturally leads to speculation that he’s still lacking arm strength, a theory that Tillman waved off.

“I don’t think so. I really don’t,” he said. “I think it is more of an execution thing than it is arm strength. And mechanical, too.

“That’s an easy excuse, but when you’re off mechanically I feel like you’re out there trying to search and search and search to find the right one to make pitches and it just kind of snowballed tonight. They came out hacking and never stopped.

* One day remains before Pedro Álvarez can opt out of his minor league contract with the Orioles and it appears that he’s going to do it. The club anticipates that he’ll leave Triple-A Norfolk, as outfielder Michael Bourn did earlier this month before being released.

Everything is subject to change, of course, but that’s the current vibe.

pedro-alvarez-white-batting.pngÁlvarez began last night batting .223/.299/.452 in 50 games, with 12 doubles, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, 21 walks and 45 strikeouts in 197 at-bats. In 11 games since May 18, he was 18-for-48 (.375) with seven doubles, seven home runs and 17 RBIs.

Álvarez’s 26 RBIs in May led the International League. His bat finally heated up, but his glove remained an issue.

The Orioles don’t have a spot for Álvarez on a four-man bench that usually includes Hyun Soo Kim, another left-handed hitter. And he hasn’t gotten comfortable in right field, which would limit him to designated hitter duty. He played first base last night.

* Adam Jones is still expected to avoid the disabled list despite his latest removal from the lineup.

Jones would have played last night without the wet field conditions, according to manager Buck Showalter. No sense risking a setback.

I have no idea how the Orioles would replace Jones if he went on the DL, but my guess is they’d select Craig Gentry’s contract and return him to the 40-man roster.

Otherwise, it would be an excuse to bring up Álvarez before he opted out, but the preference is a plus-defender in center field.

* First baseman Jesus Montero, pitcher Mario Alcantara and catcher Chris O’Brien were reinstated from the restricted list yesterday and transferred to short-season Single-A Aberdeen – a paper move with the IronBirds still not playing.

Montero had been assigned to Norfolk, while Alcantara and O’Brien were assigned to Double-A Bowie. All three players served 50-game suspensions and had been working out at extended spring training.

* Outfielder Cedric Mullins has played in back-to-back games at extended spring training this week and I’m hearing that he could rejoin the Baysox by Friday.

Mullins has missed a month with a strained hamstring. He was batting .367/.406/.683 with five doubles, a triple, four home runs and 11 RBIs in 14 games.

* Trey Mancini is praised for his bat and how he’s handled the move to the outfield, but Showalter can add to the list.

“I’ll tell you what I’ve really been impressed with is how he’s run the bases. This guy’s really run the bases well,” Showalter said.

“He scores from first on a double, he’s got a good crossover. He’s really into baserunning. He’s a good runner. He’s been one of our better baserunners – now that I’ve jinxed it.

“He doesn’t look at a lack of experience at something as a reason to fail. That’s what I like about him. Not having played a lot of outfield, it’s not like he’s going out there and saying, ‘Oh, I’ll just go pick up the ball when it quits rolling because I’ve played a lot of first base.’ No, he’s trying to catch it.”

* Jonathan Schoop singled and walked last night and continues to produce while others around him flounder.

Schoop had a two-run double in Monday afternoon’s 3-2 victory that snapped a seven-game losing streak.

jonathan-schoop-gray swing.png“That was a real professional at-bat,” Showalter said. “Jon has been very consistent for us this year with the exception of some of his struggles against left-handed pitching. That’s why it was so good to see him get a big hit there.

“Jon, you could make a case for him being one of our most consistent players this year.”

* Fans have been calling for Showalter to shake things up while the club has lost 14 of its last 18 games. Move this guy down, move this guy up, bury this guy on the bench, find a pothole for this guy to step in.

“I look at all those things, as fans do,” Showalter said, referring only to the lineup. “You look at batting orders and fixes, and sometimes there’s a need and you go there. But this is the same team that played well in April and parts of May and we’re in a stretch now … But you’re trying to make sure that you’re consistent with the approach and our guys have been working in some cases almost too hard to right the ship a little bit. But this, too, shall pass.”

* Kevin Gausman has registered quality starts in his last two outings and three of four. He’s bearing little resemblance to the pitcher who faced the Yankees on April 8 and 28 and allowed a combined nine runs and 16 hits in 10 2/3 innings.

Gausman is 6-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 19 career games (13 starts) against the Yankees. Brett Gardner is 11-for-34 (.324) with two doubles and a home run, Starlin Castro is 7-for-20 (.350) with two doubles and seven strikeouts and Ronald Torreyes is 5-for-12 (.417) with a double.

Didi Gregorius is 5-for-26 (.192) against Gausman.

Masahiro Tanaka has a 5.86 ERA and 1.482 WHIP in 10 starts this season covering 55 1/3 innings. He opposed Gausman on April 8 at Camden Yards and allowed three runs and six hits in five innings, with four walks and five strikeouts.

Tanaka is coming off one of his best outings. He held the Athletics to one run, walked none and struck out 13 batters over 7 1/3 innings. In his two previous starts, he surrendered a combined 14 runs and 16 hits in 4 2/3 innings and served up seven home runs in losses to the Astros and Rays that raised his ERA to 6.56.

The Orioles are facing Tanaka for the seventh time in his major league career. He’s 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 1 .008 WHIP in 42 2/3 innings and the current group is batting .216 (22-for-102) against him.

Schoop is 3-for-17 (.176) with two home runs. Manny Machado is 4-for-17 (.235) with two doubles and a home run.