"New Orioles manager Buck Showalter is stating the obvious when he says baseball is a game of adjustments. But the way Showalter sees it, the Orioles have spent too many seasons -- 13, to be exact -- adjusting their starting lineups and rotations to the rest of the American League.

"We got some things we can bring, too," Showalter said before Monday night's game against the Chicago White Sox. "We've been making people make adjustments to some things we're doing now. We want to be more proactive than reactive."

The Orioles have not only improved dramatically in the week since Showalter took over, but they also have become proactive. The latest example came in Monday's 3-2 victory at Camden Yards, when Brian Roberts led off the bottom of the 10th inning with his first home run of the season.

The victory was the third in four games against the first-place White Sox and the sixth in seventh games under Showalter -- as well as their third walk-off win of the homestand. It came after Paul Konerko had tied the score at 2 in the top of the ninth with a leadoff home run against Orioles closer Alfredo Simon.

Not that Showalter was getting too excited about his team's fourth one-run victory since he came to Baltimore.

"There's another challenge around every corner," said Showalter, whose team begins a six-game road trip in Cleveland tonight. "You can't dwell much on it. It's the same way with losses and tough games. Now the road presents a challenge for us. If you look at it statistically, it's been a real challenge for us."

But Showalter was very happy for Roberts, whose season recently resumed after the veteran second baseman missed 3 1/2 months with a herniated disk in his back.

"I don't want to use the word sympathy, but you have some empathy for where he's at," Showalter said. "He's trying to finish strong here the last month and a half. You look at his track record, and you know what's there. You know why he's been such a valuable player here. I feel I've got some bullets that other people didn't have.""