Pitcher Garcia bats vs. position player Davis

BALTIMORE -- Sunday's game, which saw the Orioles tie a club record with 26 hits, was a wacky win.

And the most unusual matchup in the Orioles' 18-2 win belonged to Rule 5 Draft pick pitcher Jason Garcia, who stepped into the batter's box in the eighth inning against A's first baseman Ike Davis.

"He wasn't supposed to swing there, but he put his batting gloves on for the photo op," manager Buck Showalter said of Garcia facing an American League position player. "Then I watch him on deck, and he was pine-tarring his bat. I said, 'Why are you putting pine tar on?' He goes, 'Oh yeah.'"

Garcia, who walked on four consecutive balls, grinned when asked about his routine before getting into the box, quipping, "Got to look the part."

The O's dugout had some fun with the move, greeting Garcia with laughter and high-fives as he came in from first base.

"Hilarious," Adam Jones said of the scene. "[Jonathan] Schoop struck out against a pitcher and he got a walk. A pitcher got a walk and position player got struck out. It's part of the game when you have a game like today when Buck wants to get some guys a couple outs of rest, things like that happen. I was hoping for Mychal Givens, since he is a former position player, to go live his lifelong dream of making it to the big leagues as a hitter. That would have been cool. Nonetheless, Garcia has a walk on his resume."

Video: OAK@BAL: Davis fans Schoop for first MLB strikeout

The O's Rule 5 pick this winter from Boston, Garcia had never played above A-ball entering this season but did enough this spring to make the Opening Day roster. He has spent the majority of the season, however, on the disabled list.

"Earlier in the year we took BP, and I thought being a long relief guy, getting innings, I'd get to bat," said Garcia, who missed nearly three months with right shoulder tendinitis. "But they kind of told me, 'Don't even think about it.' So I was really shocked [to get a plate appearance]."

Garcia went on to pitch two scoreless innings and hasn't allowed a run in three outings since he returned.

"It felt like Little League or high school all over again," Garcia said of hitting in between innings. "It was fun, it was cool."