Orioles make major adjustments in lineup, dugout (O's lose 5-0)

NEW YORK - Bench coach John Russell will manage tonight's game at Yankee Stadium while Buck Showalter remains at the team hotel with a stomach virus. Bullpen coach Dom Chiti will serve as bench coach and special assignment pitching instructor Ramon Martinez will serve as bullpen coach.

Will this be the night that the Orioles break out offensively, score runs in bunches and draw praise afterward for their resiliency while also marveling at baseball's unpredictability?

The club has totaled 10 runs in five games since the All-Star break and 52 runs in the past 15 games. To say they're scuffling at the plate may not be an adequate description. And now they're sending out a lineup without third baseman Manny Machado, first baseman Chris Davis and catcher Matt Wieters.

What could go wrong?

Players inside the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium expect the night to turn out all right. Russell said there isn't a trace of frustration despite three straight losses and a division lead that's down to one-half game.

"You guys have been around this group long enough," Russell said. "They take it in stride. They know what's presented each day, they know the challenges of each day and are ready to move forward. They know it's not an easy game to play and that's why their attitude is, go out and take it one day at a time. The old cliché that yesterday's over, today's a new day, these guys take that to heart. They know there's nothing they can do about yesterday and if you dwell on it, I think they've learned that through the years that we've been together.

"Since I've been here, the core group that's been here, that's been one of the greatest things I've seen from these guys. Adam (Jones), Chris, J.J. (Hardy), Wieters, they continue to push day in and day out because they know just as quick as things are going a little bit bad, we could snap out six or seven wins in a row. So, that's why you've got to have a good attitude coming out every day."

Because he handled the pregame media session in Showalter's absence, Russell was left to explain why the Orioles have stopped scoring runs and applied more pressure to a rotation that's got its own issues.

"You go into Tampa you face pretty good pitching, no matter what their record is," Russell said. "Chris Archer and (Jake) Odorizzi and (Matt) Moore, those guys aren't guys you just throw out there. They're good pitchers. Especially in Tampa, their numbers in the dome are pretty good. You go in there and you face those guys. And it's just the start of the second half.

"You don't like to see it when you come out or anytime during the season when you feel like the whole lineup is a little bit ... Usually, one guy will struggle and another guy will pick him up or two guys will struggle. You kind of float it around. But I know it happened a few weeks ago when we went through a little stretch where we lost four or five in a row and it seemed like, are we going to hit again?

"Buck always says it great. You get in points in the season where you feel like you can't win a game and you get in points in the season where you feel like you can't lose a game. We're not swinging the bats like we're capable of, obviously. We've pitched pretty well. It's a good combination to make sure we keep pitching because we know the bats will come back. We get everybody back on the field and feeling healthy and feeling strong, we're going to hit. But you are going to go through times during the season when you don't and that's where a key play, a key defensive play, a key pitch can help you win games and that's what we're looking for now."

On the positive side, the Orioles took two of three from the Rays.

"The first two games in Tampa we didn't score much, but we played good defense and we pitched well," Russell said. "That's how you win those close games."

Russell will try to lead the Orioles to victory while replacing Showalter. This isn't the first time he's been forced into duty. It's happened a few times, including the May 17, 2014 game in Kansas City when Showalter attended his daughter Allie's graduation from law school.

Showalter was suspended one game in July 2011 when benches emptied at Fenway Park following an altercation between Kevin Gregg and David Ortiz. Showalter also was suspended one game in Sept. 2010 after Alfredo Simon drilled the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista, but bench coach Jeff Datz replaced him.

A virus is a new reason.

"Dom and I sat down early, we'll sit down again to make sure we know the bullpen, how it shakes out tonight," Russell said. "We're pretty good. Our starters have done pretty well lately. It's just the main thing Buck and I talk about it all the time, how you manage a bullpen and the innings with your starters. And that's what we'll continue to do tonight.

"We'll see how the game plays out and making sure we put ourselves in an opportunity to win a ballgame. That's what Buck does every night and that's what I'm going to try to do tonight, is make sure we have an opportunity to win and be able to get to the pieces at the end of the bullpen to close out the game. And how we do that will depend on what we do early.

"Obviously, a lot has to do with Yovani (Gallardo) tonight. We'll see how it goes. But I've been around Buck long enough and I've managed a little bit in my day and we'll see what the day brings, and I think that's what Buck and I look at every day, and I know that's what he looks at to see what it brings and make the adjustments."

Note: The Orioles have a scout in Philadelphia tonight to watch Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, according to CSNPhilly.com. They've held interest in him previously and it makes sense that they'd be checking on him again and gauging whether there's a match.

Update: The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Brett Gardner's leadoff triple and Carlos Beltran's sacrifice fly. Joey Rickard almost made the catch against the fence in right field, but he couldn't come up with the ball.

Update II: The Orioles failed to score in the top of the fourth after loading the bases with one out, and Mark Teixeira homered with one out in the bottom half to give New York a 2-0 lead.

Gallardo retired eight in a row before the home run.

Update III: The Yankees loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth and Teixeira walked to increase the lead to 3-0. Gallardo got a strikeout and double play to escape further harm and complete six innings for the third time this season. He's at 73 pitches.

The Orioles had Mark Trumbo on third base with one out in the top of the sixth and again failed to score. They're 3-for-33 with RISP since the break.

Also, why did Chiti go to the mound instead of pitching coach Dave Wallace? Is Wallace also unavailable tonight?

Update IV: Brett Gardner had a sacrifice fly off Gallardo in the seventh and Carlos Beltran homered off Chaz Roe on an 0-2 pitch leading off the eighth. Yankees 5, Orioles 0.

Gallardo allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings, his longest outing since June 27, 2015. He was removed after 87 pitches.

Update V: The Orioles lost again tonight, 5-0, and have dropped four games in a row.

They've been shut out four times this season. They've scored 52 runs in their last 16 games, 10 in their last six and six in their last five.

Julio Borbon made his Orioles debut by replacing Adam Jones in center field in the eighth inning.