O's game blog: Orioles look to end five-game road losing streak today

The Orioles need a win this afternoon at Tropicana Field to avoid being swept by the Rays and to avoid extending a road losing streak to six games. The streak began when the Orioles were swept at Wrigley Field. The Orioles have scored just six runs during the five-game streak, and they have been outscored outscored 19-6 in the five games. In this stretch, the Orioles have just 26 hits, three homers and a .168 team batting average. They have just 13 hits in 64 at-bats (.203) the last two days at Tropicana Field. This series has been marked by strong starting pitching by both teams. Tampa starters have pitched 13 innings, allowing 10 hits and one run. O's starters Wei-Yin Chen and Kevin Gausman have pitched 13 innings, giving up nine hits and two runs. Today Bud Norris (12-8, 3.87 ERA) pitches against right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (1-3, 3.74 ERA). Norris went 3-1 with a 5.33 ERA in five August starts - it was his highest ERA in any month - but started September with a strong outing. On Tuesday, he pitched six scoreless innings against Cincinnati. Hellickson has a 6.28 ERA in his last five starts against the Orioles, and the Rays are 0-5 in his last five starts. Norris has gone 151 consecutive starts to begin his career without a complete game, the second-longest such streak among active players behind only Detroit's Max Scherzer, who went 178 starts from the beginning of his career before his first complete game on June 12 against the Chicago White Sox. The Orioles are 22-11 in Norris' 33 starts since he was acquired last July 31, and they have won five of his last six starts. The O's have won eight of their last 11 series finales and are 27-19 in series finales this season, including a 15-8 mark on the road. The Orioles need a win today to avoid being swept in consecutive road series for the first time since July 4-10, 2011 at Texas (three games) and Boston (four games).