Off Topic » The Orioles slugger is enduring a nightmare season.

Chris Davis doesn’t blame the fans at Camden Yards for showering him with boos http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-zach-allen-jersey , especially when he’s walking back to the dugout after another strikeout.

Although his power numbers have improved slightly since a recently mandated layoff, Davis is batting .156 with seven homers, 24 RBIs and 99 strikeouts at the midpoint of the season.

Not exactly what the Orioles were expecting when they signed the left-handed hitting first baseman to a guaranteed seven-year, $161 million contract in January 2016.

At the time of the deal, Davis averaged 42 home runs and 109 RBIs over the previous three seasons and was coming off a year in which he hit .262 with 47 homers and 117 RBIs.

Since then, his production has dipped annually. His 2017 numbers – .215, 26 and 61 – were downright prolific compared to this year.

Thus, the jeers from the home fans, who have grown weary of watching the struggles of the highest-paid player on the worst team in the big leagues.

”I understand their frustration,” Davis said. ”I know exactly what I’m capable of and what I’ve done in the past. I know that the standard is high and I haven’t been playing that well. But I have to move forward and continue to try to find a way to still have an impact on this season.”

It’s probably too late for his bat to make a difference. His most significant influence on the team, unfortunately, is that his sizable contract makes it that much more difficult for Baltimore to pay big bucks to several of its pending free agents, most notably Manny Machado.

The Orioles and Davis appear destined to be together through the 2022 season, so both sides must make the best of it. That’s why Davis was given an eight-game hiatus in June to get his swing down and his head right. Up to that point, he had tried just about everything else.

”For me, it was exhausting,” Davis said. ”My solution to a lot of my problems in baseball has always been to work. I felt as long as I was working, as long as I was trying Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , that I would figure it out. This is the first time in my career when I was kind of at a point where I didn’t know what else to do.”

So he went to the sideline, working with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh and vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson, a left-handed batter who hit 50 homers for the Orioles in 1996.

Upon his return, on June 26 in Atlanta, Davis homered and drove in two runs. Over the past 10 games, he’s hitting .158 with two doubles, two homers, nine RBIs and 13 strikeouts.

”His run production is a lot better, his at-bats have been better,” manager Buck Showalter insisted. ”They may say comparatively speaking, but if Chris continues at this rate, if you put it over 160 games it’s pretty good.”

Davis has tried just about everything else in an effort to get back into the groove, with the breakaway from the game coming as a last resort.

”I appreciate them giving me the chance to step back, gather myself and regroup,” he said.

Showalter and the organization can only hope for positive, lasting results.

”Chris has been a good friend of mine,” the manager said. ”He’s got a lot of support from the coaches and his teammates.”

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Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in six innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and walked one. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances Phil Haynes Jersey , finishing a six-hitter.

The Nationals (42-43) have lost five in a row to fall below .500 this late in the season for the first time since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The preseason NL East favorites held a players-only meeting after the game.

A throwing error by Adam Eaton on Bradley’s sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in the seventh inning contributed to Washington’s 17th loss in 22 games.

Nationals starter Erick Fedde left one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.

YANKEES 6, BRAVES 2

NEW YORK (AP) – Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia pitched six effective innings, leading the Yankees to the victory.

Yankees rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres left in the fifth inning because of tightness in his right hip and was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right hip strain.

Aaron Judge and Kyle Higashioka also homered for New York. Higashioka became the ninth player since 1920 whose first three hits were home runs.

Sabathia (6-3) yielded two runs and five hits.

Atlanta starter Julio Teheran (6-6) lasted just five innings, allowing five runs and five hits. He struck out 10 and walked four.

CARDINALS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 4

PHOENIX (AP) – Yadier Molina and Yairo Munoz homered, Miles Mikolas threw six strong innings and St. Louis broke loose late to beat Arizona and take two of three from the first-place Diamondbacks.

Molina’s three-run shot on the first pitch from reliever Fernando Salas highlighted a five-run seventh inning after Arizona had nursed a 2-1 lead through six. Tommy Pham drove in three Cardinals runs with a double and two singles.

The Diamondbacks dropped to 1-5 on their homestand and lead the surging Dodgers by just a half-game in the NL West.

Mikolas (9-3) gave up two runs, seven hits and four walks.

Arizona reliever Yoshihisa Hirano (2-1) had his franchise-record streak of 26 games without allowing a run end when Munoz homered on the first pitch of the seventh. Hirano gave up four runs, one earned, on three hits in two-thirds of an inning for his first loss since coming to the major leagues from Japan this season.

ASTROS 5, RANGERS 4, 10 INNINGS

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Evan Gattis drove in Jose Altuve with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, sending AL West-leading Houston to the road win.

Altuve stopped a 0-for-13 slide with a one-out single in the 10th. Chris Martin (1-2) then hit Yuli Gurriel with a pitch before an errant pickoff throw allowed both runners to move up. Gattis followed with a fly ball to right-center.

Gurriel homered, doubled and scored twice as the Astros overcame an early four-run deficit. Collin McHugh (4-0) pitched three scoreless innings, and Ken Giles got three outs for his 12th save.

Texas’ Shin-Soo Choo homered and singled to extend his on-base streak to 44 games, the longest in his career and in the majors this season.

DODGERS 6, PIRATES 4

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Rich Hill earned his first win in three months Ugo Amadi Jersey , Yasmani Grandal and Chris Taylor drove in three runs apiece, and the Dodgers swept the Pirates for the second straight year.

The Dodgers outscored the Pirates 31-8 in the three-game series while winning their fourth in a row overall.

Hill (2-3) allowed two runs in five innings for his first victory since April 1. Kenley Jansen earned a five-out save, his 23rd of the season.

Gregory Polanco hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh. Clay Holmes (0-1) was charged with four runs in 2 1/3 innings in his first major league start.

CUBS 5, TIGERS 2

CHICAGO (AP) – Javier Baez stole home, Willson Contreras hit a tiebreaking homer and the Cubs earned their sixth straight victory.

Conditions at Wrigley Field favored the long ball, with a game-time temperature of 92 degrees, a heat index of 102 and the wind blowing out.

David Bote also connected for Chicago. Jose Quintana (7-6) pitched six effective innings in his first win since May 31, and Brandon Morrow got three outs for his 19th save.

Nicholas Castellanos and John Hicks went deep for Detroit, which has dropped 13 of 15. Francisco Liriano (3-5) permitted three runs in six innings.

ATHLETICS 4, PADRES 2

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Stephen Piscotty doubled three times and drove in three runs, powering Oakland to the win.

Khris Davis added an RBI single for the A’s, who have won 14 of 17 to move a season-high nine games over .500.

Lou Trivino (7-1) retired two batters for the win. Blake Treinen pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

Christian Villanueva hit his 17th home run for San Diego. Jose Castillo (1-2) got the loss.

PHILLIES 4, ORIOLES 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Aaron Nola stuck out nine in seven innings, Nick Williams hit a two-run homer and the Phillies beat the Orioles to sweep a two-game interleague series.

Nola (11-2) gave up one run and seven hits to win his fifth straight decision. Victor Arano tossed two innings for his first career save.

Philadelphia pulled within 1 1/2 games of NL East-leading Atlanta and improved 10 games over .500 for the first time since finishing the 2011 season with a franchise-record 102 wins.

Orioles right-hander Yefry Ramirez (0-2) gave up two runs – one earned – and one hit in five innings.

METS 6, B