Three combined runs in two games against Andy Sonnanstine and Matt Garza.
Tampa Bay?s starters aren?t exactly Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez, circa 2004, but they didn?t have to be.
The Orioles? lineup is in a collective slump ? making solid contact at times, but chasing bad pitches and failing to find holes in the defense.
Thursday?s box score told that story all too well, as just three of the 16 balls the Orioles sent to the outfield fell for hits in a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Garza improved to 4-0 in his career against the Orioles (15-13), scattering three hits and two runs over six innings -? the same Matt Garza (1-0) who is 5-13 against teams outside of Baltimore.
“We go through struggles as a team,” center fielder Adam Jones said. “There?s no problem with that. We just need to hit our pitch, and we haven?t been doing that the last two nights. There?s no panic in this locker room.”
The Orioles? offense has been sluggish at times during the young season.
The team entered Thursday?s game hitting .252, which ranked 10th in the American League. And while the team is in the top half of the league in home runs, none of the 29 long balls has driven home more than two runs.
After starting April with six straight wins, the Orioles opened May with their fourth loss in the past five games ? and that doesn?t include Monday?s game in Chicago, which was suspended in the 11th inning with the teams tied, 3-3.
The Rays (16-12), however, have won eight of their past nine games to surpass the Orioles in the American League East Division.
There?s no better time for the Orioles to flock to the warm weather of Anaheim, Calif., for a three-game series against the Angels that begins tonight. Orioles manager Dave Trembley, who lives in Florida during the offseason, is ready to turn off the heater in the dugout at Camden Yards.
“I think the bats are going to start heating up on this road trip,” he said. “The weather is going to be tremendous. There are going to be big crowds, nice ballparks. We?ll have some early hitting sessions on the road, and I think things will be looking up.”
The lone highlight Thursday was Jones? 376-foot homer with two outs in the fourth inning ? his second of the season and the final hit the Orioles would muster against the Rays. Jones? homer, which combined with Aubrey Huff?s double one batter earlier, were the only consecutive hits the Orioles produced.
Orioles starter Brian Burres (3-2) pitched well ? scattering six hits and three earned runs over six innings against a talented lineup ? but not well enough for Baltimore, which has combined for just 10 hits and three runs the past two days against two starting pitchers who have just 36 combined starts.
The Orioles play their next 10 on the road against the Angels, Athletics and Royals before playing 12 of the next 18 against the Red Sox and Yankees.
Better heat up soon, boys.
Sean Welsh is the Orioles beat writer for The Examiner. He can be reached at [email protected]
