Pitching plan backfires on Showalter, O’s

NEW YORK — The starting pitcher couldn’t get one more out. The lineup couldn’t produce one more run.

The bullpen that has been so good all season couldn’t get the job done.

The Orioles came out of Saturday with a 7-3 loss to the Yankees, and they came away hoping this won’t be a game they think about all winter. They can still celebrate an American League Wild Card berth with the right combination of results Sunday, and they can guarantee their season won’t end then simply by beating the Yankees.

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“We know what we have to do,” Wade Miley said as he stood outside the Orioles’ clubhouse early Saturday evening.

Fair enough, but they knew what they had to do Saturday, too. They had to hold an early 3-0 lead generated by a two-run Michael Bourn single and a Manny Machado home run. They had to hold a 3-2 lead with nine outs to go, after Miley had pitched six strong innings and given them everything they could have asked for.

Buck Showalter wanted more.

The Orioles’ manager had his reasons. Miley has pitched well of late, and the Yankees hadn’t hit him hard Saturday. Showalter also knew the Yankees had Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Didi Gregorius sitting on the bench, and he knew those left-handed hitters would stay there as long as the left-handed …

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