A few notes on the latest loss and more winning on the O's farm

Not too much more to say after the latest loss for the Orioles, one that has Birdland remaining in an ornery mood.

Despite public comments that they remain buyers, not sellers, there seems at this point little reason for the Orioles to part with anything that could help in the future. Yes, they can get draft picks for departing free agents that turn down a qualifying offer. But if the return they can get now is better, I see no reason to strongly consider that.

I would open extension talks with reliever Darren O'Day to try to at least keep together the O's one-two punch at the end of games. Other than that, I'd be very willing to listen to any offers.

Now, some not-so-great numbers:

* The Orioles are 15-19 in series-opening games, including an 0-3 mark in the second half.

* The Orioles are 5-13 in July. Their team ERA in the month is 3.82, but the O's team batting average is just .224 and they are scoring 3.1 runs per game.

* The Orioles are now 24-24 against the AL East. Take away their 9-4 record against Boston and they are 15-20. Last year the Orioles went 47-29 in AL East games.

* The Orioles are 2-5 on this road trip and 19-31 on the road this year. Last year, they went 46-35 away from the Yard.

* The Orioles are 6-37 when they score three runs or fewer, something they have done in 14 of the last 17 games. They are 2-31 when scoring two runs or fewer.

Chris Tillman deserved a few more runs last night. It's hard to win 1-0, something the Orioles had done once before this year. They beat Boston by that score June 9.

Tillman has clearly turned around his season. After retiring the last 23 batters he faced Saturday at Detroit he retired the first five he saw last night. Yep, he got 28 in a row, one more than you retire in a perfect game.

Tillman faced 36 consecutive batters between allowing hits. He gave up a single to the first batter he faced in Detroit and then didn't allow a hit until Evan Longoria doubled with one out in the fourth last night.

Tillman is the first O's pitcher with consecutive starts of seven-plus innings, allowing two hits or less and one run or less since Matt Riley did it. Riley accomplished that on Sept. 7 and Sept. 15, 2004.

Over his last five starts, Tillman is 2-0 with an ERA of 1.38. In 32 2/3 innings, he has allowed 25 hits and five runs with six walks, 28 strikeouts and no homers allowed.

At least something is going right these days.

Here is more going right: The Orioles' top three farm teams are in first place after their latest wins Friday night.

Triple-A Norfolk won a modified doubleheader. They won the first game - which was the completion of a suspended game on July 3 - 2-0 over Durham. They took the nightcap 3-2. The Tides are now 58-41, lead their division by two games and have the best record in the International League.

When the first game was resumed it was 0-0 in the fifth. Norfolk quickly gained the lead on RBI singles by Dariel Alvarez and Christian Walker.

The two runs were enough for Norfolk's relief corps, as Steve Johnson (4-1), Dana Eveland and Oliver Drake fired five shutout innings to help the Tides register their 11th shutout. Johnson earned the win with three shutout innings, while Drake picked up the save after striking out the side in the ninth in his first outing off the disabled list.

In the second game, O's prospect Zach Davies outdueled Tampa Bay's No. 4 prospect, Blake Snell. Davies, now 4-6 with a 3.02 ERA, gave up two runs in six innings.

Walker had three more hits in the second game. Over an eight-game batting streak, he is hitting .441 (15-for-34) with five doubles, four homers and 13 RBIs.

With the Orioles possibly having an opening at first base next year, Walker is on a tear now, Trey Mancini is batting .360 at Bowie and don't completely discount Brandon Snyder. He is hitting .312 with an OPS of .970 for the Baysox.

Meanwhile, the amazing season of Bowie right-handed pitcher Terry Doyle continued last night as he scattered 11 hits over 7 2/3 innings in Bowie's 5-1 win over Harrisburg. Doyle is now 12-1 with an ERA of 2.02.

His 12 wins ties for the lead in all of minor league baseball and the 29-year-old Doyle has the most wins by a Baysox pitcher since Brad Bergesen had 15 and Jason Berken 12 in 2008.

Earlier this week I wrote this profile on Doyle.

Meanwhile, Single-A Frederick completed a sweep of Potomac with a 5-1 win last night. The Keys staff allowed one run in three straight games. Conor Bierfeldt drove in three, and Frederick is 16-13 and leading its division in the second-half race.

The Keys return home tonight for a big evening. It includes a Christmas in July promotion along with a Zach Britton bobblehead giveaway and postgame fireworks.