In times like these, Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph thinks back to the message delivered upon his arrival in the major leagues two years ago. As Joseph prepared for what would become a regular role behind the plate for the playoff-bound Orioles in 2014, manager Buck Showalter told him that defense should never go into a slump.
"It sounds simple and I couldn't believe I had never heard that before, but it's pretty true," Joseph said. "When you know you can impact the game defensively — because as a catcher, we have the opportunity to impact the game literally every pitch — it might not be with your bat some nights, but you can try your best to impact the game behind the plate if you can help the pitcher get a few more pitches here or there.