O's game blog: Chris Tillman on mound in Tampa Bay series opener

The Orioles begin their last road trip of the season tonight, playing the first of four games against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. It is the opener of a three-city, 10-game trip that also will see the Orioles play at Washington and Boston.

The Orioles are 8-7 against Tampa Bay in 2015 and 6-3 at The Trop. They have a team batting average of .211 in the season series, scoring 50 runs in the 15 games with a team ERA of 3.53.

The Orioles lost 10-1 to Boston at home last night to snap a three-game winning streak for just their second loss in the past eight games. At 71-74, the Orioles need to go 11-6 or better in the remaining 17 games to finish with a winning record for the fourth consecutive season.

The Orioles are in third place in the American League East, one game ahead of the Rays at 70-75. Tampa Bay is 2-4 during a 10-game homestand, losing series to the Red Sox and Yankees. The Rays have lost four of five games, are 5-9 in September and 24-30 since the All-Star break.

The Rays are a major-league-worst 2-13 in extra in­nings and have lost 11-straight extra-inning games, a club record and the majors' longest skid since Houston (11) in 2012. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only twice in major league history has a team endured a longer losing streak in extras: the Montreal Expos (13) in 1969-70, and the St. Louis Cardinals (13) in 1906-07.

The Rays are 5-18 in games decided in the ninth inning or later and 18-32 in games decided in the seventh inning or later.

On the mound tonight, Chris Tillman (9-11, 5.21 ERA) makes his 28th start, facing left-hander Matt Moore (1-4, 8.42 ERA).

Tillman is in a five-start slide and is 0-4 with an ERA of 8.42 in that stretch. He is 0-2 with an ERA of 11.77 in three starts this month. Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria is 16-for-46 against Tillman, with four doubles and six homers.

Moore has allowed five runs or more in three of his last four starts, pitching to an ERA of 9.68. Two of those starts were against Boston, and he gave up 14 runs over eight innings.

On July 26, Moore allowed eight hits and five runs in five innings versus the Orioles. In nine career games against Baltimore, he is 4-4 with a 4.43 ERA.