Frustrating loss: O's blanked by Tampa Bay, fail to sweep series

For the Orioles, their first loss of the year was a very frustrating one.

They failed to score, were held to three hits and allowed Tampa Bay to get the game's first run by walking four consecutive batters. The Rays beat the Orioles 2-0 at Tropicana Field as the O's went to 2-1 in the season's first series.

The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the sixth when O's pitching lost the strike zone. They combined to walk four in a row after there were two out and none on. Starter Miguel Gonzalez walked two straight and was lifted after 98 pitches for Brian Matusz.

In his first appearance of the year, Matusz walked pinch-hitter Brandon Guyer and then Logan Forsythe on a 3-2 pitch as Tampa Bay broke the 0-0 tie and took its first lead of the series. Matusz threw 18 pitches, just eight for strikes.

Tampa Bay made it 2-0 in the eighth against Brad Brach. Evan Longoria doubled to left with one out and scored on Desmond Jennings's single to center field.

Gonzalez threw a whopping 32 pitches in the last of the first but somehow managed to not give up a run. With one out, he allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases.

Then, Jennings grounded to short and the O's turned a 6-4-3 double play with second baseman Jonathan Schoop firing a strike to first base. The original call was safe at first, which would have scored a run, but the call was overturned after a replay review.

Gonzalez went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one run, with five walks (to tie his career high) and five strikeouts. He took the loss after going 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 American League East starts last year.

The winning pitcher was Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi. In 2014, he went 0-2 with a 6.52 ERA in four starts versus Baltimore. But tonight he pitched 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball, with no walks and seven strikeouts.

After taking an early 6-0 lead in the second inning last night, the Orioles did not score in the last 16 innings of the series. They got four straight hits to start last night's game, but had just five hits in their last 55 at-bats of this series. The Orioles struck out 29 times in the three games.

The game featured the major league debut of 22-year-old right-hander Jason Garcia, a player the Orioles got via the Rule 5 draft. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Now, the Orioles come home for opening day Friday afternoon in Baltimore when Bud Norris (15-8, 3.65 ERA in 2014) pitches against Toronto. Lefty Mark Buehrle (13-10, 3.39) will take the mound for the Jays at 3:05 p.m. at Camden Yards.