For the Orioles, the recent hitting and pitching stats are equally bad

When trying to size up whether the pitching or offense has been the bigger issue during a run where the Orioles are 1-8, it is a tough choice.

Both have been poor.

Let's start with the pitching and start with the starters. Over the last eight games, the rotation ERA is 7.09 and O's pitchers have thrown five or fewer innings five times. While Dylan Bundy gave the team seven strong innings Monday night, Alec Asher went just two innings in the game that preceded that and Chris Tillman 2 2/3 innings following it.

The O's rotation ERA for the year is up to 4.76, which is next to last in the American League. Only Cleveland is worse at 4.81.

Meanwhile, as the O's rotation stumbles, the Yankees starting five has been thriving. New York starters have an ERA of 1.75 over their last eight games. Their rotation ERA for the year is 4.09 - fifth-best in the league.

But the hitters have not been much better. The Orioles have gone a season-high seven consecutive games without a game of 10 or more hits. They have gone without a single homer in five of the past seven games.

The Orioles' team batting average is .199 over those last seven games and they have a total of 46 hits. They've been shut out twice in this stretch, scoring 15 runs total for 2.1 per game. They are batting .234 (11-for-47) with runners in scoring position in this span.

For the season, the Orioles have scored three runs or less 23 times in 50 games, going 7-16.

Some of the hitters recently:

* Manny Machado is 0-for-13 with eight strikeouts his past three games. His .210 average for the year is at its lowest point since April 25. In May, he is batting .200 with an OPS of .657.

* Chris Davis is 4-for-44 (.091) his last 11 games with 25 strikeouts. Davis has struck out two or more times in five straight games with 13 strikeouts.

* Welington Castillo is batting .188 (6-for-32) his last eight games with 10 strikeouts.

* Seth Smith is 2-for-26 (.077) over his past seven games. His average has dropped from .307 to .254.

It didn't take long last night for the feel-good vibe from Bundy's strong outing Monday to be washed away. Brett Gardner and Matt Holliday homered batting first and third for New York in the first inning. The Yankees were on their way to an 11-for-23 start at bat and an 8-0 lead after four innings.

Tillman gave up five runs and seven hits over 2 2/3 innings as his ERA jumped to 5.87. But Tillman said his previously sore shoulder is not hurting or hampering him anymore.

"I mean, I felt really good actually," Tillman said. "It's been getting better every start. To be honest with you, I haven't even thought about it (his shoulder soreness) since I got back here. That is an excuse and not one I will use. That's behind me."

He added that his arm strength is fine, too.

"It's more an execution thing than it is arm strength," he said. "And mechanically, too. That is an easy excuse. When you are off mechanically, I feel like you are out there trying to search and search and search to find the right one to make pitches. It kind of snowballed tonight. They came out hacking and they never stopped."

Read Tillman's complete postgame quotes from last night here.

The Orioles have won just one of their last five series and that was against Toronto. They need a win tonight to take this series against the Yankees.