O's end scoreless streak but still get swept by Mets

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

June 20, 2012, 5:42pm

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The Orioles were able to avoid a third straight shutout tonight, but not a third straight loss at New York, as they lost 4-3 to the Mets, who completed a three-game sweep at Citi Field. Wilson Betemit hit a two-run homer with none out in the eighth to end the Orioles' 28-inning scoreless streak. Had they been shut out, it would have been just the second time in team history they had not scored in three straight games. From July 29-31, 1957 the O's were blanked in three straight games once by Chicago and twice by Cleveland. Still, the Orioles fell to 39-30 after entering New York with seven wins over their last eight games. The Birds scored just two runs in this series and 11 runs during a 2-4 road trip. In the six-game homestand before this trip the Orioles scored 44 runs with 11 homers. Brian Matusz took the loss to fall to 5-8 with an ERA of 5.00 as he gave up three runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. Over his last three starts, Matusz has allowed 11 earned runs over 12 1/3 innings. Mike Nickeas had an RBI single in the fourth to give the Mets a 1-0 lead and they added two in the fifth and one in the sixth as they improved to 38-32 and 19-9 all-time against the Orioles.