Davis, Jones homer in same game for first time in nearly a year to propel Orioles

BALTIMORE—Chris Davis and Adam Jones hitting home runs in the same game was once something that happened regularly. When the Orioles announced Tuesday night it was the 43^rd time the duo had done that, it wasn’t surprising. They’ve done it more often than any other pair of current teammates in the majors.

However, it was the first time Davis and Jones homered in the same game since Aug. 31, 2017. The Orioles are a frightful 43-105 during that span.

Davis hit a long home run to center to give the Orioles the lead after Jones had homered to left to tie the score. Tim Beckham added a two-run shot in the Orioles’ 6-3 win over the New York Mets.

It was the Orioles’ 36^th win this season, and they’ve beaten the Mets in all three meetings.

The Orioles played a crisp game, something that was missing when they lost four straight to Boston last weekend.

Andrew Cashner pitched one of his better games this season, allowing just two runs on seven hits. The Orioles looked like their old selves for a night.

Each time Davis hits a home run, he’s asked if this game was the one that will point him toward a hot streak. Davis hasn’t hit in more than five straight games, and his average is still at .162, which is the highest it’s been since May 19. He also singled to center in his final at-bat and lined to right on the at-bat before his home run.

“I think it’s really taking it one at-bat at a time,” Davis said. “Not getting too high or too low. Not trying to hit a home run, but just going up there and trying to be a hitter. I think it’s too easy a lot of times to get caught up in the negative and sometimes even to get caught up in the positive and let your guard down. For me, I want to finish up strong. I want to work on some things and go into the offseason with a head of steam.”

Manager Buck Showalter said he thought Davis would find his eighth-inning single just as satisfying as the home run.

“Chris is a guy that can get going and really do a lot of damage for a club for an extended period of time,” Showalter said. “I thought he had some good at-bats leading up to the home run.”

It was Davis’ 11^th two-hit game this season. He’s yet to have a three-hit game.

“Chris will tell you he’d like to have nights like this the rest of the way,” Showalter said. “And that’s what he strives for. But you know how hard that is for anybody, especially a guy who can get real hot and do things like he did tonight.”

In his first year with the Orioles, Cashner hasn’t seen Davis hit like this often.

“Chris can carry a ballclub for a long time, so seeing him hit that homer tonight was definitely big,” Cashner said.

Davis knows that if he can develop more consistency, it will give him something to build on going into 2019. One thing that was noted Tuesday night, especially on the home run, was that he kept his top hand on the bat through the swing.

“I think that’s a big part of it, just trying to get something going and seeing how long I can make it last,” Davis said.

“I feel like the conversations I’ve been having lately with [hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh], with [Vice President of Baseball Operations Brady Anderson] , with [Mark] Trumbo, anyone who’s ready to talk hitting, it’s just about working and making sure I’m consistent in my approach every day, consistent in my play and consistent with my work.

“…Not getting too high, not getting too low. Trying to keep it simple and being as consistent as I can in my preparation and in my work.”

Cashner stronger

Cashner won for the second time in his last four starts. He would have had two consecutive wins had the Orioles not imploded defensively Aug. 8 at Tampa Bay and committed five errors. They won the game, but Cashner’s fine performance (one earned run in seven innings) was undermined.

The Orioles didn’t commit an error while Cashner was on the mound Tuesday night.

“The biggest thing for me was [Jonathan] Villar’s defense,” Cashner said.

“He really changed the game for me, especially, I think it was the sixth inning where he made the play in the hole. Leadoff runner on changes the inning for sure. But I think tonight was one of our best collective wins that we’ve had. Caleb [Joseph] caught a great game behind the plate, blocked a lot of balls. I thought it was a great team win.”

Jones not saying much about right

Jones has been quiet since center fielder Cedric Mullins arrived. If you’re looking for a self-evaluation in right field after his move, you’ll be disappointed.

“Less running. I’ve only been at it five games so I’ll let you know when I get an ample amount of games at it,” Jones said.

Jones was a little more expansive on the offense.

“We understand what the year has been ,and we are just still trying to make the best of it,” Jones said. “We owe it to ourselves to come out and play every day hard and not just lay down from it. We have an obligation to ourselves, to our team, to the city, to the fans. We’re going to come play hard. Sometimes the result is not what you want and it hasn’t been a lot this year, but that’s not going to stop the effort that we’re going to bring.”