Nipped in the Bud: Ill righty guts out start

NEW YORK -- Coming off a pair of starts in which he pitched into the seventh inning, Bud Norris will have to throw this one away.

"I'm going to have to," said Norris, who allowed four earned runs over 3 1/3 innings in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Yankees. "I had some really good stuff today, but fatigue-wise and with everything else, my stomach and everything, it just wasn't there. I'm really going to wash this one out. But I know I'm making strides, and I know our staff is, too, so I'm going to pick my head back up and get out there."

Norris was sent back to the hotel sick during Saturday's game and was still feeling the effects in the series finale. Asked if he regretted taking the mound, Norris said he didn't want to leave the bullpen overtaxed and mess up the rest of the rotation.

"We're really trying to get on a five-day rotation. I was on nine last time with all the stuff going on around us. It's a little different," he said. "But I'm trying to help the team, not hurt the team any way I can. It's a little frustrating.

"You never want to take the game out of your hands and leave it in someone else's hands, but I thought there were a couple calls that could have gone my way, a couple of plays that could have gone my way. The ball's just not bouncing our way right now and it's frustrating, but this team has a lot of grit and a lot of grind. We've got to get back to it."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he would also take into account Norris' health when evaluating Sunday's start. Norris has gone fewer than five innings in three of six starts, but he had been better as of late.

"We were aware he may not be 100 percent going in there, but [he was] better than I thought he would be," Showalter said. "Taking into account there in the fourth inning, he threw a lot of pitches there. We were hoping to get five innings out of him. It was a challenge bullpen-wise, trying to get through the game and have somebody long tomorrow. That was a challenge."