Familiar story: O's bats remain dormant in Detroit series opener

DETROIT - The Orioles could not get their offense going in the cold of Fenway Park and they didn't hit much in frigid Comerica Park last night, either.

They have now lost six of seven games, scoring a total of 16 runs since they won three of four games at Yankee Stadium. So much for that momentum. The Orioles offense has been offensive, but don't blame the weather, insists outfielder Adam Jones.

"Screw the weather. Who cares about the weather?" he said after Tuesday's 4-2 loss. "The opponents are playing in it, too. We've just got to get better. We got to get better situationally. We had some people on and just couldn't get that hit. But no one likes excuses. We just have to get it done ... There's no panic in this clubhouse. Let's just try to flip the script. But we have to get better. At the end of the day, people only care about results, not effort."

Added manager Buck Showalter: "We don't hit very well, and they pitched real well. You hate getting some quality pitching performances like we're getting and not being able to cash in on them, but it'll happen. You've got to trust each other."

But while Manny Machado is batting .366 his past 11 games and Trey Mancini is batting .378 his last nine, they need some help. Tim Beckham is 0-for-14 on this road trip, Chris Davis added three strikeouts last night and Caleb Joseph has one hit his last 23 at-bats.

On the four games of an 0-4 road trip, the Orioles have scored nine runs total and are 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Last night was the eighth time in 17 games they've scored two runs or fewer.

Cashner was good again: The Tigers produced some rallies in the middle innings last night and tried to open up a close game. But O's right-hander Andrew Cashner would not let them.

He got double play grounders to end the fifth and sixth as Detroit went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position against him. American League batters are 0-for-18 with runners in scoring position this year against Cashner. That is pretty remarkable and comes a year after he allowed just a .170 batting average when pitching with RISP. That was the best mark in the majors last year.

He sure seems to have a knack for making clutch pitches.

"I think I had a really good record with runners on second and not scoring (last season)," he said. "But for me, it's really 'Slow the game down.' I really take my time and make my pitches. Don't let the hitter dictate whenever I make a pitch."

Cashner has allowed just four runs over 19 innings his past three starts. He and Dylan Bundy have combined for six quality starts in eight outings this year - yet the Orioles are 2-6 in their starts.

Cashner is 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA through four O's starts.

"It'd be great to think you're going to get this all season long," Showalter said of Cashner. "I think Andrew is a guy that kind of came into his own last year and really figured out what he needs to do and who he is and what he's capable of. I'm hoping that we're going to reap the benefits of that. He's been solid. You hate to kind of squander some of these good efforts that we're getting from the pitching department."

At 5-12, the Orioles have the third-worst record in the American League. They went 7-22 to end last year after Aug. 31. Since that date they are 12-34 the past 46 games. That is a winning percentage of .261, which would produce just 42 wins if a team played that poorly over an entire season.

Meanwhile, the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds kept winning last night, taking a doubleheader at Hagerstown. After a Game 1 win by 7-2 and a win in the nightcap by 7-3, the Shorebirds are 10-2.

In the opener, lefty Zac Lowther threw five scoreless to go to 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Through two starts and 11 innings he has not allowed a run. He has walked one and fanned 20 batters. So yeah, nice start for him.

In the second game, outfielder Zach Jarrett went 3-for-4 with a double, two homers and five RBIs. The Shorebirds will try to sweep that three-game series when the clubs play at 10:35 this morning at Hagerstown. Right-hander Michael Baumann (2-0, 0.82 ERA) gets the ball for Delmarva.