The Orioles' recent homestand has featured several occasions when, with games still within reach despite a struggling starter, Showalter has turned to his long relievers instead of someone like Brad Brach or Mychal Givens, who could keep the game close even at that early stage.
Showalter on Monday detailed what went into that decision, saying many factors go into it but the solution is almost always to go with the long reliever.
"Even when I bring in a Parker Bridwell, somebody that's not proven, or you bring in someone who's really struggled this year, you always have to say, 'What if [he can't get outs]?'" Showalter said.
So in situations like that, Showalter said, sometimes it's easier to choose the pitcher who might have trouble rather than the one you're more confident can get out of a jam. His rationale is that if you go with a late-inning reliever early, and then a long guy runs into trouble, you end up in the same place and have used one of your top relievers in the process.
Bridwell allowed a solo home run to make it 5-3 in the eighth inning of Sunday's loss to the Houston Astros, but the problem has occurred other times. When Chris Tillman left the game with no outs and the bases loaded in the third inning Saturday, Showalter opted for long man Odrisamer Despaigne, who allowed one of Tillman's runs to score. On Friday, Ubaldo Jimenez stranded the only runner he inherited from Wade Miley with the Orioles trailing 6-5, but Jimenez later got touched up, as did Tyler Wilson, who followed.
Each game presents unique circumstances, and Showalter has been hamstrung at times with having a bullpen stocked with so many long relievers. Vance Worley has been one of the game's best, but he's been used in every role imaginable this year with so many other starters in the bullpen. It seems Showalter reads the game situations at that point and tries to stay away from Brach and Givens whenever possible, especially with Darren O'Day out with a rotator cuff strain.
"The reason why guys have to come out of the game is because somebody's on base," he said. "It's tough, because usually those guys, that's why when you find one who can do a good job — Mac was on a roll at one time, [T.J.] McFarland. There's also the possibility you won't have to get those guys up at all if it continues down the path it's on, Brad and Mychal and Zach don't have to pitch, because it bodes well for their health over the course of the season. They can't pitch every day. They can't. If you do, the landscape is littered with pitchers that are on the DL. Look at them. August is always the biggest month. You've got some that should be on the DL that aren't."
Brach and Givens both pitched an inning on Saturday, with that game well out of hand. Brach ranks 11th in the American League with 54 appearances — the league leader has 59 — while Givens is 29th with 48 appearances.
Around the horn: Left fielder Christian Walker, who is playing at Triple-A Norfolk, was named the International League batter of the week. Walker is riding a seven-game hitting streak, batting .385/.414/.885 in that span to bring his line to .264/.325/.432 with 15 home runs. … The Orioles will visit wounded servicemen and women at Walter Reed Medical Center on Wednesday, Showalter said. O'Day and his wife, Elizabeth Prann, have been heavily involved in supporting the USO while he's been with the Orioles … Showalter said he understood why the Orioles and Nationals play every year as natural rivals, but noted they're the only one in their division facing them this season. "It's not balanced." he said. "The only way to do it is everybody play everybody the same amount of times."