Corey Patterson

After spending the better part of three months finding ways to lose, the Orioles and their new manager suddenly can't seem to lose. Adam Jones' two-out single to left off Tony Pena in the 10th inning gave the Orioles a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox before an announced 19,687 at Camden Yards. It was the Orioles' fourth straight victory under manager Buck Showalter and the second night in a row where they won in their final at-bat. Nick Markakis, who hit a one-out single for his fourth hit of the night, scored easily from third base on Jones' hit and the Orioles poured out of the dugout to celebrate another dramatic victory.

The fairest way to evaluate the Oriole players probably would have been to assign two different grades – a B.S. one for "Before Showalter' and a U.S. one for "Under Showalter. " The performance of so many of the players, including young starters Brad Bergesen and Brian Matusz, improved dramatically after Showalter was named the Orioles manager Aug. 2, and that made grading the club difficult. But as Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has said several times, you have to evaluate the team on the entire season, and not just on the final two months.

Adam Jones had seen and sweated enough. The Orioles had stranded 12 base runners and managed just one run over the previous eight innings, and that was on a bases-loaded walk, and Jones decided to do something about it. So he ... bunted. Jones' two-out bunt base hit in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Nick Markakis from third and sent the Orioles to a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners in front of an announced 12,375 at sultry Camden Yards. "Yeah, we've been working on that," Orioles manager Buck Showalter joked.

Matt Garza's vow that he would "shove it down" the Orioles' throats Friday night proved to be more rhetoric than reality. The Tampa Bay Rays starter's performance was more of a gentle nudge, yet it was still plenty good enough to quiet an Orioles team that continues to struggle against the American League East. Garza allowed one earned run in 52/3 innings as the Rays dealt the Orioles their third straight defeat, a listless 4-1 decision in front of an announced 13,507 at Camden Yards.

TORONTO -- Though Orioles officials say they won't have any announcements on coaching staff changes until the end of the season, they already know they'll have at least one vacancy to fill. First base coach and outfield instructor Sam Mejias, who was hired by former manager Sam Perlozzo, has informed team officials he's not interested in returning for a second season with the club. Mejias, 57, said he told manager Dave Trembley and the team's front office of his plans about a month ago. "My heart just wasn't into it, that's about it," said Mejias, admitting it was difficult for him after his friend Perlozzo was fired.

It was another chance to win a series, and another opportunity lost as the Orioles' 6-4 defeat to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night featured the kind of play that has been mostly absent under the Buck Showalter regime. There was first baseman Ty Wigginton's error that contributed to the Red Sox's five-run second inning off Brad Bergesen. There was the infield's failure to turn a double play in the eighth on Mike Lowell's ground ball, leading to an important Red Sox insurance run a half-inning after the Orioles scored four times off Daisuke Matsuzaka to get back in the game.

The Orioles promoted outfielder Corey Patterson from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday because they were hoping his speed would jump-start a lineup that has been sputtering for weeks. With all due respect to Patterson, what the Orioles need even more is some of their lineup mainstays to start producing as they have in the past. Two of those players -- Adam Jones and Luke Scott -- had big nights offensively and starter Brad Bergesen continued to turn around his season as the Orioles broke a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners before an announced 11,448 who braved a persistent rain at Camden Yards.

As the Orioles' front office enters another crucial offseason, it faces the challenge of appeasing not only a disgruntled fan base, but also several of the club's top players. Before the team finished its ninth straight losing season, a 70-92 campaign that was the franchise's worst since 2002, several Orioles veterans stressed last week that a productive offseason is imperative in order to close the gap with the New York Yankees. They weren't exactly cries for help, but the frustration was obvious.