Houston — After Chance Sisco’s ninth-inning bunt for a base hit against the shift irked the Minnesota Twins on their way out of Baltimore on Sunday, Orioles players came to the defense of their rookie catcher’s attempt to ignite a rally down by seven runs.

With Twins starter José Berríos working on a one-hit shutout, Sisco bunted toward third base for a single against a Minnesota full shift that left most of the infield’s left side unoccupied.

The Twins called foul — citing a violation of the game’s unwritten rules — and while those rules do frown upon bunting for a hit during a no-hitter, the Orioles were miffed by Minnesota’s rationale.

“The problem is the unwritten rules are written differently by 30 different teams and applied differently by 30 different teams,” Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph said. “When they’re not jointly seen eye-to-eye, you’re going to have issues. One of my unwritten rules would be, don’t shift a guy in the ninth inning.”

This is where these unwritten rules and late-game strategy collide. Joseph said if the Twins thought the game was decided, then why did they use a shift? He said that if they played Sisco straight up and Sisco attempted to reach on a bunt, they’d have a more legitimate gripe, but by making a strategic decision to take a hit away, Sisco had the right to drop a bunt where defenders weren’t.

“This game is about giving and taking,” Joseph said. “If you’re going to give something to somebody, you’d be dumb not to take it, in the same way that we shifted a guy over in a seven-run game in the eighth inning, why wouldn’t you bunt? You play straight up and you try to bunt, it’s a different thing. It’s not a no-hitter. Nobody on base. It’s not like you’re bunting in the bases loaded to score a run to break up a shutout. I don’t quite understand the logic. You’re taking away the four hole, but you’re giving up a baseline.

The situation reminded Orioles manager Buck Showalter of a time when he was with the Yankees New York Yankees and then-Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda sent a runner to steal second when first baseman Don Mattingly was positioned way behind the bag to defend the hitter.

“He came over after the game and said, ‘I just want to tell you, when you’re right behind a guy that’s fine, but when you play way back out there and now you can defend my hitter, is it fair to my hitter that because we’re good and beating you 9-0, he can’t get a hit,’ ” Showalter said. “I still remember that.

“I just wonder where some of the bunting thing is going to end. Are you like not allowed to throw changeups when you are up 6-0? Like where does it stop?”

While the Orioles tried to look forward toward a daunting opening road series against the defending World Series champions Houston Astros, they were clearly angered by the Twins comments.

“At the end of the day, your job is to try to go out and win the game,” first baseman Chris Davis said. “For whatever reason, it’s been OK and really accepted these last few years to win the game without hurting the other team’s feelings. If it’s acceptable to shift with a seven-run lead in the ninth inning, it’s acceptable to bunt. There are certain things I don’t agree with when you talk about the unwritten rules, but I definitely think that what Chance did was warranted.”

Orioles sign Michael Saunders: The Orioles have been connected to outfielder Michael Saunders for several years, and in a season in which many long-rumored interests have come to fruition — see Andrew Cashner and Colby Rasmus — the team has now also added Saunders on a minor league contract, the club announced Monday.

Saunders, 31, who will report to Triple-A Norfolk, will add left-handed-hitting outfield depth, but the Orioles could see him potentially helping elsewhere.

“Michael Saunders is a proven hitter who plays outfield and can fill in at first base and designated hitter,” Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said in a text message Monday morning. “His hitting record at Camden Yards is also interesting.”

Saunders’ 10 homers in 23 career games at Camden Yards are his most in any opposing ballpark, and he has a .310/.379/.750 hitting line in 95 plate appearances at the park.

He is a career .232/.305/.397 hitter in parts of nine major league seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies.

Crichton, Liranzo traded: The Orioles dealt a pair of recently designated relievers Monday, trading right-handed reliever Jesus Liranzo to the Los Angeles Dodgers and moving right-hander Stefan Crichton in a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Both players were designated for assignment on Opening Day on Thursday to make from for four nonroster players on the 40-man organizational roster.

The Orioles received right-hander Luis Ysla from the Dodgers for Liranzo, and they will receive a player to be named or cash considerations for Crichton.

Ysla, who will report to Bowie, spent last season at the Double-A level pitching in the Boston Red Sox and Dodgers organizations. The 25-year-old compiled a 5.28 ERA in 36 relief appearances over 58 innings.

Cobb update: Showaltersaid right-hander Alex Cobb had a productive workday Monday and is still on target to pitch five simulated innings in Sarasota, Fla., on Wednesday.

That could be Cobb’s final outing before he joins the Orioles starting rotation — the team has wavered on whether he needs to build to five or six innings before he’s deemed ready — but Showalter on Monday left open the possibility of Cobb’s first major league start coming as early as next Monday.

“I don’t want to go there yet,” Showalter said. “Let’s see how the day after tomorrow goes. I talked to Alex today and he felt really good.”

Trumbo gets swings in:Mark Trumbo (quadriceps) took live batting practice for the first time Monday and is expected to get into extended spring training games by the end of the week.

eencina@baltsun.com

twitter.com/EddieInTheYard