More on the O's losing streak, plus Jones and Machado on tempers flaring in MLB

So the 2015 Orioles now have a five-game losing streak, something that never happened to the 2014 O's.

It was another night where the Orioles made mistakes in the field and on the bases, and their pitching staff gave up too many runs.

The Orioles lost 7-5 to Boston on Friday night and have been outscored 38-20 during their longest losing streak since they dropped six in a row from Sept. 19-24, 2013.

Here is the combined pitching line for the starting pitchers during the losing streak: 22 innings, 28 hits, 29 runs, 24 earned runs, 17 walks and 15 strikeouts.

But keep in mind the pitching staff got off to a slow start last year, just not quite this slow. After 17 games last season, the pitchers had just five quality starts with a rotation ERA of 4.53. This season, they have recorded four quality starts with a rotation ERA of 5.83.

Right now, it seems one aspect of the team cannot pick up another when something goes wrong. The O's latest chance to change that comes tonight in the second game of the series against Boston at Camden Yards.

Meanwhile, before Friday's game, two Orioles were asked about the tempers that have been flaring in the sport recently. There have been a few benches-clearing incidents already. Earlier this week, emotions ran high between the Orioles and Toronto, and it seems to be that way with Kansas City and just about every team.

Why have things gotten so heated recently in the sport?

"Everybody is excited in the game," center fielder Adam Jones said. "I love to see the passion. I'm glad players are showing passion for the game they love."

Is some of this the result of heated division rivalries?

"We might be getting tired of each other, I don't know," Jones said. "It's part of the game. It's passion. I don't care whatever form passion shows itself, as long as someone is passionate about doing what they are doing.

"This team in here (our clubhouse) has passion. So do the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees and Rays. As you see across baseball, there is a lot of passion going on right now," Jones said.

Third baseman Manny Machado was asked his opinion.

"We're playing baseball," he said. "This game is heated. Everyone is trying to win. Just part of the game. It has always been like that. Everybody has fought every year. People care and want to go to October. Everyone in this clubhouse wants a ring. So you have to do what you have to do to get there and be on top at the end."

Minor matters: Triple-A Norfolk lost 4-1 at home to Charlotte last night. Starting pitcher Tyler Wilson gave up just one run over six innings with seven strikeouts. But he took his first loss at Harbor Park, where he is now 5-1 with a 1.74 ERA in nine career starts.

The Double-A Bowie Baysox lost 3-0 at Akron to end a four-game winning streak. The Baysox are 8-7. Dylan Bundy gave up a walk, single and double to start his outing, allowing a pair of runs in the first inning. In his third start of three innings, he gave up four hits and two runs with one walk and four strikeouts. He is 0-2 with an ERA of 4.00 in three games. His brother, Bobby Bundy, pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Anthony Caronia gave the Single-A Frederick Keys their third walk-off win of the season with a single to center in the bottom of the 11th as the Keys beat Wilmington 4-3. It was also Frederick's third extra-inning win of the year, and makes the Keys the first Carolina League team to reach 10 wins at 10-6. Starter Matt Taylor went five scoreless innings, giving up just one hit.

Single-A Delmarva beat Greensboro 4-3 to improve to 9-6. Jamill Moquete hit a three-run homer as the Shorebirds extended their win streak to four games.

Jomar Reyes, Delmarva's 18-year-old third baseman, went 3-for-4 and is now batting .346. Reyes has three straight multi-hit games. During a four-game hitting streak, he is 8-for-14 with a homer and three RBIs. Reyes is now seventh in the South Atlantic League in batting average and fifth in OBP at .424.