One run short: Tampa Bay takes series opener 4-3 (quotes added)

The Orioles offense didn't get much going yet again. Right-hander Alex Cobb pitched pretty well. But the Tampa Bay Rays did just enough against him tonight to produce a 4-3 win over the Orioles in the opener of a four-game series at Oriole Park.

The Orioles (29-74) are 1-5 since the All-Star break and 1-2 on this homestand. They have lost eight of 11, 15 of 20 and 22 of the last 28 games. Tampa Bay (53-50) is 10-6 over its past 16 games and 6-4 versus the Orioles for the season.

In a 2-2 tie, Ji-man Choi doubled to lead off the Tampa Bay seventh with the ball hitting off the fence and appearing to hit a fan before bouncing back into play. A crew chief review to see if the ball should be a homer determined it should stay a two-bagger. Singles by Joey Wendle and Adeiny Hechevarria followed to provide the Rays a 3-2 lead and lefty Paul Fry replaced Cobb.

Fry got a double play, but then hit a batter and walked another to load the bases and the O's brought on righty Jhan Mariñez for his 100th career outing. When Matt Duffy grounded one toward the mound, it looked like the inning would end. But Mariñez threw a one-hopper to Chris Davis at first base for an error as the fourth run scored. Davis threw home to cut down a run at the plate, but the two-run inning left Tampa Bay ahead by two.

That error would prove very costly because of what happened not long after.

The Orioles trimmed that to a one-run deficit when Davis blasted a 434-foot homer to right-center in the eighth. Davis connected for No. 11 and hit a 2-2 changeup from Sergio Romo. But the Rays held the 4-3 lead on that unearned run.

Earlier, Cobb faced the minimum nine batters in the first three innings on 43 pitches, before Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Kevin Kiermaier led off with double and the Rays got RBI singles from Jake Bauers and Choi to break the 0-0 tie.

Cobb took the loss and is 2-14 with an ERA of 6.08 and he leads the majors in losses. He allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned) on 88 pitches and the Orioles are 3-16 in his 2018 starts.

In the Orioles fifth, Jonathan Schoop hit another home run to tie it 2-2 off lefty Ryan Yarbrough. After Tim Beckham drew a leadoff walk, Schoop lifted one down the left-field line that just made the seats for the tie. It was his 15th homer on a 1-1 cutter and went 350 feet.

Schoop has homered in four straight games for the first time in his career. The last Oriole to homer in four straight was Davis from Aug. 17-20, 2016. Schoop has also hit five homers in his past six games. Schoop hit five homers in 34 games in April and May combined. Schoop has now hit safely in 19 of his last 20 games.

But the Orioles came up a run short tonight to fall to 10-20 in one-run games. Tonight was their 12th one-run game in their past 20 contests and they are 5-7 in those games. Tomorrow night at Camden Yards, Andrew Cashner (2-9, 4.40 ERA) pitches against right-hander Chris Archer (3-4, 4.30 ERA) at 7:05 p.m.

Postgame quotes:

Cobb on keeping his focus when things he can't control like errors or lack of runs lead to losses: "I'm just trying to win. Maybe I should stop trying so hard. Maybe that'll help. I don't know. When you give up soft contact, runs score. It's hard to try to feel like you did the right thing, pitching to weak contact, because you get so angry and so frustrated with it. But you have to understand that you don't need to change anything out there. You just need to keep forcing it and hopefully it finds people. But it's been tough. I mean, finding every which way to lose a ballgame right now and try to, like I've been saying, take positives from the game. I felt better each time out, so just keep following that path and hopefully the tide will turn on it. You're going to have those though nights. Balls put into play that turn into runs that you felt like you did your job, but I think if you do that over the course of a season continuously that the average at the end of the season is going to be in your favor. But it hasn't felt that way this year."

Davis on Cobb pitching in some tough luck again: "I told him when Buck (Showalter) came and got him that I thought he did a great job of keeping us in the game. Threw the ball well. I feel like the last however many outings he's pitched really well. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get him enough runs to get a win. That is kind of the way our season has been going all year."

Davis on his offense tonight: "I feel like I'm seeing the ball a lot better. I feel like I'm a lot calmer in the box. Haven't quite got the results, other than tonight. I think the biggest thing for me is try to take some positives away. Obviously, it's been a tough season for me - not only personally but as far as the team, as well. I want do everything I can to finish up strong and take some momentum into the offseason."

Davis on whether the clubhouse is very different minus Manny Machado and Zach Britton: "There is no doubt. Seems like there might be more moves in the future for us and it's something we all realized was a possibility. But you don't know how you will feel until it actually happens. It's definitely a different atmosphere. I don't know, I don't want to say quieter, it's just different. I preached in spring training last year and earlier this year on how special it is to be able to play with the same group of guys for as many years as we did. I think some of the younger guys don't realize how special it is to have the same group together year in and year out. We are starting to see some of those guys go and it's tough. But we have to make the best of the situation we are in."