Arrieta falls behind early (O's trail 9-4)

Jake Arrieta retired the first two Phillies batters tonight on a fly ball and grounder, but three straight singles by Hunter Pence, Jim Thome and Shane Victorino produced a run. Thome's ball never left the infield. Arrieta was late chasing it and couldn't make a play. Carlos Ruiz struck out on Arrieta's 21st pitch to end the inning. The Orioles have scored one run while Arrieta's been in the game in six of his 12 starts, and they've scored two runs in three other outings. In his last 10 starts combined, the Orioles have totaled 17 runs while he was still in the game. The 3.21 runs of support per game for Arrieta is the fifth-worst among American League starters. Last year, they averaged 6.86 runs per game for him, the third-highest in the majors. The Orioles' player development department chose Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Xavier Avery as the organization's minor league Player of the Month for May after he batted .308 with four doubles, three homers, nine RBIs and a .915 OPS in 13 games. Miguel Gonzalez was named Pitcher of the Month for May after going 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA in six appearances, including two starts. Single-A Frederick's Dylan Bundy has allowed two runs and four hits in four innings against Lynchburg, with three walks and four strikeouts. Nick Ahmed his a solo homer off him in the third. Bundy has surrendered five runs and 13 hits, with four walks and 17 strikeouts, in his first 14 innings with the Keys. Update: Arrieta was 0-5 with a 7.96 ERA over his last six starts before tonight, and the Phillies are giving him a two-fisted beating. Here's Arrieta's line so far. Read at your own risk: 2 innings, 9 hits, 7 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 HR, 1 HBP. 55 pitches, 35 strikes. His ERA is up to 6.25. Mike Fontenot, the 19th-overall pick by the Orioles in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft before being dealt to the Cubs in the Sammy Sosa trade in 2005, belted his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning. The Phillies sent 10 batters to the plate and hit for the cycle with a home run by Fontenot HR, triple by Juan Pierre, doubles by Ty Wigginton, Thome and Victorino, and single by Ruiz. The defense has been sloppy, too. The Orioles left a pop up drop in foul territory as J.J. Hardy and Endy Chavez chased it. Adam Jones couldn't cut off Pierre's ball in left-center field, and Mark Reynolds couldn't field Victorino's smash that was scored a two-run double. Arrieta has allowed 21 earned runs (22 total) and 25 hits in his last four starts covering 16 2/3 innings. Dana Eveland was warming in the second inning. If he enters, Tommy Hunter is definitely starting tomorrow. If Hunter is called up, does Arrieta get optioned to make room for him? That's a popular guess in the press box. The Orioles got three runs back in the bottom of the second on Matt Wieters' leadoff double, Chris Davis' RBI single, Mark Reynolds' walk and Robert Andino's two-out, two-run double. Down on the farm, Bundy was charged with two runs and four hits in five innings, with three walks and five strikeouts. Update II: Arrieta struck out the side in the third, but Thome doubled with two outs in the fourth and Victorino homered. Thome is 3-for-3 with two doubles. Once again, Arrieta has trouble from the stretch. The nine runs and 11 hits are season highs for Arrieta. Eveland was warming again in the fourth and now he's entering in the fifth, so Hunter will start tomorrow. Here's Arrieta's line: 4 innings, 11 hits, 9 runs, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts, 2 HRs, 1 HBP. 83 pitches, 53 strikes. The Orioles are trying to get back in this game, if they'd just stop giving up so many runs. Chris Davis led off the bottom of the fourth inning with his 10th home run. Phillies 9, Orioles 4. Davis is 23-for-65 with two doubles, five home runs and 10 RBIs in his last 18 games since May 16.