Cashner error overshadows another quality start in 5-2 loss (updated)

MINNESOTA - Andrew Cashner notched his third consecutive quality start tonight and his fifth in the last six outings, the exception unavoidable after a long rain delay in D.C. The return, however, has been miniscule.

Similar to the support he received again tonight.

The Orioles managed only one run off Andrew Slegers in six innings and Cashner had a costly fielding error in the third that opened the door to a 5-2 loss to the Twins at Target Field.

Jonathan Schoop homered twice, but the Orioles fell to 24-62 overall and 12-33 on the road. They've lost 21 of their last 26 games.

Brad Brach gave up two runs with two outs in the eighth. He hadn't been scored upon in nine of his last 10 appearances.

The Twins dropped eight of nine games on their road trip, but the Orioles couldn't provide much resistance tonight with an offense that's scored two runs or fewer in 38 games. It was Schoop or nothing.

Schoop led off the fifth inning with his ninth home run, a shot estimated at 414 feet that reduced the lead to 3-1. Slegers, making his first start for the Twins this season and only his second appearance, hadn't allowed a hit since Manny Machado's two-out double in the first.

Slegers retired the side in order in the sixth inning and came out of the game after only 72 pitches. Addison Reed recorded the first two outs in the seventh and Schoop launched a slider an estimated 409 feet to give him two multi-homer games this season and eight in his career. He hit two in Game 1 of a May 12 doubleheader against the Rays.

Chris Davis went 0-for-4 and struck out in the ninth against Fernando Rodney to tie Cal Ripken Jr.'s club record of 1,305. Davis also grounded out in the second inning, was robbed of extra bases in the fourth on center fielder Jake Cave's leaping catch at the wall and lined to first base in the seventh.

Ripken played 3,001 games in 21 seasons with the Orioles. Davis has played 972 games in eight seasons.

Cashner reached up for Davis' throw in the third inning while trying to cover the bag, the ball bounced off his glove and Cave scored after a leadoff double. Eddie Rosario increased the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single.

A nine-pitch first inning for Cashner was followed by 19 in the second and 23 in the third.

Cashner left the bases loaded in the sixth after two walks (one intentional) and Max Kepler's double that appeared to score a run on the veteran's 100th pitch. Manager Buck Showalter challenged the call, believing that the ball went into the stands for an automatic double that should send Jorge Polanco back to third base and he was proven right upon review.

Bobby Wilson grounded out with the count full on Cashner's 107th pitch.

Cashner was charged with two earned runs (three total) and six hits, with two walks and three strikeouts. His ERA is down to 4.39 in 94 1/3 innings.

Tanner Scott struck out the side in the seventh and Adam Jones doubled with two outs in the eighth to get in scoring position as the potential tying run. Machado was walked intentionally and Mark Trumbo struck out against Trevor Hildenberger.

The last gasp, as it turned out.

Kepler had an RBI single off Brach in the eighth and Cave followed with an RBI double, his third hit of the night. He also drew an intentional walk.

The Twins kept making plays in the field to deny the Orioles and demonstrate the importance of good defense. The Cave grab to rob Davis. A diving catch by Kepler to deny Caleb Joseph in the fourth and his leaping catch at the wall to rob Trey Mancini and end the seventh.

Notes: Left-hander DL Hall, the Orioles' first-round pick in 2017, tossed 5 2/3 hitless innings tonight at Single-A Delmarva. He walked two batters and struck out seven.

Hall has allowed one run in his last five starts over 20 2/3 innings.

Alex Katz followed with 3 1/3 hitless innings, but the game remained scoreless in the 10th and a bunt single off Ryan Wilson ended the combined no-hit bid.

Chris Tillman worked six innings for Triple-A Norfolk, his longest outing in four rehab starts, and allowed four runs and nine hits with two walks and no strikeouts. He threw 84 pitches, 55 for strikes.

Update: Cashner fell to 2-9 despite turning in his ninth quality start and the Orioles' 41^st of the season. They're 4-13 in his starts

Showalter on lack of run support again in Cashner's quality start: "We've had a lot of them. I think we're fourth or fifth in baseball in quality starts. It's just a couple solo home runs and that's about it. You're always trying to give the other pitcher and other team credit, but we just didn't mount much. Five hits, two of which were solo home runs. Not many singles there."

Showalter on quality of the at-bats: "A lot of two-seamers in that were balls. That's one of the biggest challenges when you're going through what we're going through is that guys are wanting to get it back and how they equate getting it back is hits and swinging the bat and sometimes it's a walk.

"It's something I've been talking to Jon a lot about trying to change your thinking of what you consider an uptick in what you're trying to get done. It can't always be a base hit. It's just got to be a process and trying to stay true to it and it's hard because guys want to swing, they want to it. One of our biggest challenges, the difference from last year, is our chases out of the zone, especially on the breaking ball."

Showalter on Schoop: "He's taking some steps forward. Like I told him, it's not going to happen overnight and just want him to stay, like I said, understanding what's a good day. It's not always two home runs, it's not always ... it's good, deep at-bats and really trying to lay off some pitches that he's been passing. That's been our biggest challenge is we're swinging at a lot of breaking balls out of the zone."

Cashner on having to ignore record: "Yeah, for me it's, you've got to constantly work to get better. And tonight I thought I had the worst stuff I had this season. I thought I grinded throughout the game. I feel like when you're not scoring runs, you keep your mind sharp on what I want to do out there, thinking pitch to pitch. When you have a big lead, sometimes you don't do that as well.

"I think it's keeping the ball out of the middle of the plate and really focusing on down or up and getting over the front side and stuff like that.

Cashner on frustration: "Yeah, these guys do want to score runs. It's more about picking those guys up in spots. We hit the ball hard today. They made some great plays. It's more from a team aspect of picking guys up and constantly staying positive and not really focusing on the negative. I'm a big positive guy, so for me when I'm not pitching, try to pick these guys up because it's just as hard for them as it is for me."

Cashner on error: "When it first happened I thought the ball, Schoopy was going for it and then CD kept going, so I was just trying to hurry and get over there. I don't know, it was kind of weird. I just lost the ball for a second and when I did it hit off my glove."

Schoop on his improvement: "I'm getting better, getting better. I've got all my outs already and it's time for me to go out there and find some success."

Schoop on making hard contact: "It felt good, it felt good, like I put my work in and it starts showing out there. It felt good. I'm looking forward to keeping it up like that and looking forward to us winning, too."

Schoop on Cashner: "Cashner pounded the zone. He threw strikes. He kept the hitters off balance and we didn't score much for him. It's a little bit of frustration, but everybody wants to do good. It's not like we didn't want to score for him, so I hope things start changing."