Austin Hays and his teammates try to stay upbeat amid the losses

The losses are mounting. The latest was by a 13-0 score last night as the Orioles lost to Houston to get swept again in a three-game series. Since there are humans inside those uniforms, the players must have a tough time trying to stay upbeat during this losing.

Before Wednesday's game, during an on-field interview after batting practice, O's outfielder Austin Hays said that, in his mind, the team has done a good job keeping the energy and their collective attitude upbeat.

"We come in every day with a good, positive mindset," Hays said. "It's really tough after the games, obviously. Any time you lose it's hard. Just try to leave it at the field that night, and when we come to the field the next day we just start working, be positive and focus on what we can control that day. The game yesterday is in the past. Think this team is doing a pretty good job of that. Feel like the energy in the dugout is good. We're playing hard for each other every single night. Eventually, it's gotta turn around for us.

"We know that we're a good team and we can put a better result on the field. Right now, we're not getting those results. We are just trying to make sure we don't get caught up in all the failures that we have had so far. If we focus on what we can do well and be more consistent at that rather than being more of a streaky team. You know, the offense shows up for three straight games, then we go cold. The pitching staff shows up for a week and then they're cold. If we can just be more consistent and stick to those things that we're doing really well when we go through good stretches, that is what every good team does. Stick to what you do well."

Hays told me it is not so much one or two guys keeping the team together and trying to not let players get down. It's everybody in the clubhouse.

"I think it's collective," he said. "It's always tough when you have guys that are struggling, guys that are dealing with injuries and different things of that sort. I think everyone is doing the best they can right now of just providing as much energy as they have and everything that they have for the team."

One thing helping some of the young players, according to Hays, is that they've been together through times before on the farm. They've been through ups and downs together on the way up to the majors, and he's become good friends with current teammates including Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle.

"Yeah, we've been through the minor leagues together. Been on 12-to-14-hour bus rides with a seven o'clock game when you have gotten in at 9 a.m. Been through difficult and hard times," Hays said. "Right now we are losing a lot. But I think dealing with a lot of stuff in the minor leagues prepared us mentally for this. Got to keep putting our best effort on the field and keep improving."

The Orioles were shut out last night for the fifth time and first since April 28 by the New York Yankees. They were outscored 26-3 in the series and were held to 14 hits in 91 at-bats by Houston pitching. Houston starters - Jake Odorizzi, Zack Greinke and José Urquidy - gave up just one run over 19 1/3 innings the last three games.

Houston (46-28) has the best record in the American League and has now won 10 in a row. That matches two win streaks of 10 straight that Houston had during a 107-win year in 2019. That club won 10 in a row in both April and May. This club has outscored its last 10 opponents, 81-21. The Astros are 14-2 the last 16 games and 39-18 since April 22.

Mullins had been hitless the past three games, going 0-for-11 with four strikeouts since he had back-to-back two-homer games on Friday and Saturday. But Mullins went 1-for-3 last night with a double in the first inning and is batting .311 with a .918 OPS.

He is batting .363 when leading off an inning this season, with a major league-best 41 such hits. He also leads the majors with 27 hits in the first inning of games, batting .403 (27-for-67) in the opening frame.

The Orioles have been swept eight times this year in a series of three or more games, by Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington, Minnesota, the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay again, Cleveland and Houston.

Catcher Austin Wynns went 1-for-2 with a walk and played first base for the first time in his career when Pedro Severino came in to catch in the ninth inning. Wynns is 4-for-8 in throwing out potential basestealers after catching Kyle Tucker stealing second base in the fifth inning.

Tonight the Orioles begin a three-city, 10-game road trip when they play the first of four games in Buffalo against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles are out to end a 19-game road losing streak. The club's last win away from Oriole Park was by 6-0 on May 5 at Seattle, when John Means pitched a no-hitter.