Dan Duquette: "We've got to get out of our rut here" (O's lose 11-2)

There's a touch of irony tonight that baseball's Iron Man is playing hurt.

Cal Ripken Jr. said he flipped over the handlebars of his bicycle today and landed on his right shoulder. It's barking now and he warned reporters that he might have to throw the ceremonial first pitch from halfway between the mound and home plate.

He wasn't kidding. Ripken stood in that spot and threw to close friend and former teammate Brady Anderson, now the Orioles' vice president of baseball operations.

Ripken was in good humor this evening, pointing out that the one thing that hasn't changed in 20 years is, "I still sweat at press conferences."

Fans continue to file into Camden Yards for the celebration of Ripken's record-breaking streak of 2,131 consecutive games.

"Do you think anybody will ever break his record?" manager Buck Showalter asked. "I don't think they'll get close. I don't think they'll want to."

As for the heat that Ripken took on occasion for staying in the lineup while slumping at the plate, Showalter said, "I never looked across the field and felt like Cal was physically struggling or hurting the team. I was really hoping he would take a day off every time ever time we played them."

Meanwhile, the Orioles are trying to find a way to reverse their losing ways. The effort isn't lacking, as players such as Adam Jones keep insisting, but what about the confidence level? Are players doubting themselves?

"A lot of things get talked about more when you're in the situation you put yourself in a little bit," Showalter said. "All of a sudden it's an effort thing or this, that and whatever. I've looked for that, too. Not as much as you would think. I think it's more frustration, when you know you're capable of so much better and you've been a part of that and it's not happening.

"I can't really tell you what in their private moments whether there's self-doubt. We all have those. Heck, managers go through periods, everybody does, where everything you do doesn't seem to get to the end game. We all get what in our mind we think is a rut. What do you do? Well, you run somebody different out at shortstop, you play somebody at first base.

"I haven't seen it. I've looked for it. Maybe in a private moment they feel that way, but I see more just PO'd more than anything. They've handled it pretty well. Almost too well sometimes."

Executive vice president Dan Duquette wasn't able to make a trade last night as the midnight deadline approached for including players on the postseason roster.

"We were working with a team right up until about 10:30, but it didn't work out," Duquette said.

Asked whether he was pursuing a pitcher or hitter, Duquette replied, "We were trying to get some pitching.

"That's the way it is this time of the year. There's limited opportunities."

Is Duquette comfortable moving forward with the players in the organzation?

"We need to stabalize our team and win a few games and get back to playing Orioles baseball," he replied.

"We've just got to get back to playing our game and get into a routine of doing the things you have to do to win the game. Winning is a series of habits, and some of the habits that we utilized to win games, we're not doing right now.

"We've been able to play competitive ball for a while so we should be able to continue that. But we've got to get out of our rut here."

Update: An Orioles official said Miguel Gonzalez's MRIs looked "pretty good." Just right shoulder and elbow tendinitis. There doesn't appear to be any structural damage.

Gonzalez still figures to miss a few starts and the Orioles must decide whether to place him on the disabled list. The off-day on Thursday lessens the rotation complications.

Update II: Manny Machado hit his 100th career double in the third inning. He's the youngest Oriole to reach the milestone at 23 years and 57 days, passing Ripken (23 years and 332 days).

Machado reached the milestone in the second-fewest games, trailing only Nick Markakis.

Machado swiped third base, but he failed to tag and score on Steve Pearce's fly ball to shallow center field. Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe ran it down with his back to the infield, spun and threw to the first base side of the mound. Adam Jones struck out to end the threat.

The Orioles should have the lead, but the game remains scoreless.

Update III: The Rays scored four runs in the fourth to break a scoreless tie and four more in the fifth to lead 8-0.

Chris Tillman was charged with seven runs in 4 2/3 innings, the last two scoring after Steve Johnson replaced him and surrendered an RBI double to Brandon Guyer and two-run single to Arencibia. Tillman allowed eight hits, walked two, struck out five and hit a batter. He threw 95 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Johnson was charged with a run.

Update IV: Arencibia strikes again. His two-run home run off T.J. McFarland in the seventh gave him six RBIs - one short of his career high - and the Rays a 10-0 lead.

Update V: The Orioles lost their sixth consecutive game, falling to the Rays 11-2 at Camden Yards. They're six games below .500 for the first time since June 3.

Chris Davis homered in the ninth after Jimmy Paredes singled, and the Orioles avoided their 10th shutout of the season.

The Orioles have lost 12 of 13 and 13 of 15. They've been held to three runs or fewer in six consecutive games, 12 of 13 and 13 of 15.