Showalter not making excuses for quiet bats

NEW YORK -- Buck Showalter wouldn't take the bait. The Orioles' manager was without Matt Wieters (right foot) and Chris Davis (stomach virus) in a 7-1 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday night, but Showalter scoffed at the suggestion their absences played a part in the result.
"We've been without people all year," the manager said. "Just like the Yankees have and just like everybody has. It's part of the gig."
A day after totaling five hits and one run in the series opener, the O's offense managed just four hits Tuesday. Caleb Joseph and Ryan Flaherty, who spelled Wieters and Davis, respectively, went a combined 0-for-5. The rest of the offense didn't do much, either.
Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Schoop didn't record any hits in the middle of the order, and Joey Rickard's sixth-inning RBI double was Baltimore's lone extra-base hit.
Vance Worley, who pitched 4 1/3 innings of three-run ball, said he didn't feel pressure to compensate for the lack of production. Rather, he spun the onus around to himself.

"If we're in the dugout more often, then they're off their feet. Going to be more comfortable out there swinging," Worley said, "If they're constantly on their heels playing defense, it only makes it harder for them to come up and hit."
Even so, the Orioles faced a less daunting iteration of the Yankees' bullpen than Monday night. After being silenced by the trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, Baltimore had equally unimpressive results Tuesday against Anthony Swarzak and Nick Goody, who combined to throw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief of right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.
The Orioles had a promising opportunity in the sixth, though. With Eovaldi's day over, Swarzak entered to a bases-loaded, one-out jam. Trumbo, the Major League leader with 28 homers, was up, and Schoop, who entered the game hitting .301, was on deck. The tide appeared to be turning.
Not quite. Trumbo and Schoop both popped out in foul territory, and the O's wouldn't reach base again.
"When you get those opportunities you got to try to cash them in. You're not going to get many," Showalter said.
The skipper said it's possible that Wieters and Davis could be available for Wednesday. Their help would be a welcomed sight. Tuesday's loss, paired with the second-place Red Sox's 4-0 win over the Giants, trimmed Baltimore's American League East lead to a half game.
Showalter didn't sound too enthusiastic about their returns, though. Wieters is still pretty sore, and Davis was just starting to eat again before the game after a Sunday night trip to the hospital.
So if they aren't ready?
"You don't stomach it and find the excuse," Showalter said. "We don't live in those worlds."