More on the Orioles and RISP

I talked to a few fans today while running errands, and they unanimously classified last night's loss as the most frustrating of the season. And it didn't include a blown save, which I thought was a prerequisite. Must have been all those wasted scoring opportunities. The four consecutive innings with a runner at third base and one out that didn't alter the score. The failings coming against a division rival that's trying to pull away in the wild card race. Going into tonight's slate of games, the Orioles actually rank third in the majors with a .277 average with runners in scoring position, trailing the Cardinals (.329) and Tigers (.286). They're 14th with a .236 average with runners in scoring position and two outs. With a runner at third base and fewer than two outs? The Orioles are tied for sixth with a .335 average. Their recent stretch of games hasn't done much to enhance their clutch image. They were 2-for-14 with RISP last night and stranded 15 in a 4-3 loss to the Rays. In the last three games, they're a collective 10-for-42 (.238) with RISP and have stranded 37. Going back a little more, they're 13-for-57 (.228) with RISP and have stranded 51 in the past five games. Teams are batting .214 with runners in scoring position against Alex Cobb, who's making his 15th start tonight for the Rays.