Game update and more Showalter (O's lose 3-1)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles allowed three runs in the first inning Wednesday night and four yesterday afternoon, falling into holes they couldn't escape while being swept in the Bronx.

Chris Tillman didn't leave a mess tonight at Tropicana Field, retiring the Rays in order in the first inning on only 12 pitches. He struck out Steven Souza, Jr. and John Jaso and induced a ground ball from Evan Longoria.

Tillman retired the first five Rays, running his streak to 28 batters in a row going back to his last start, before walking David DeJesus with two outs in the second inning.

Rays starter Chris Archer threw 27 pitches in the top of the first, but he struck out Chris Davis to strand two runners. Archer also fanned new leadoff hitter Jimmy Paredes and Adam Jones, sandwiched around a Ryan Flaherty single and Manny Machado walk.

Machado has drawn at least one walk in 11 of his last 15 games, a young hitter maturing before our eyes. His patience apparently travels down the order, with Machado batting third tonight.

Davis struck out for the 118th time in 93 games.

Travis Snider struck out in the second inning and is 2-for-23 this month.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked again tonight about his team's resiliency and how he's counting on it during a brutal stretch.

"We've got to do some things better," Showalter said. "You try to be consistent. Our guys are a little ornery. They should be. They don't like it. We've got something that we're trying to defend. They're trying to take it from us and we've got to do the things to keep them from taking it from us. It's as simple as that.

"They do take it personally. They don't like anything about losing. Try to stay in that game. All the stuff you do before the game, it's all about, once they play that song, let's go play the game now. Play the game like, not only us, but Toronto and Tampa and Boston. We don't have a corner on it. You've got to pitch, you've got to catch, you've got to run the bases and you've got to hit a little bit."

You've also got to tune out all the trade rumors and not lose focus. I wrote earlier that three people in the organization indicated to me today that the Orioles remain buyers. One official referred to the rumblings of a Davis trade to the Pirates as "gossip."

"I think we've got the answers here," Showalter said. "We've got a lot of players who have competed in pressure playoff situations and you trust that. I think our best baseball is always ahead of us and I think our best moments are ahead of us.

"There's so much negativity that can creep in because people are always pounding on it. And also on the flip side, they get a little too positive when things are going real well. As a team and as a manager and as a coach and whatever, you try to keep everybody in reality, and about life in general.

"The hardest thing to do in sports is win when you're expected to win. Now, a lot of people didn't expect us to win this year. I heard about all of them, where they were picking us, but that's not the expectation we had. We're trying to win a title. We always think it starts tonight.

"They got it. They're a good group. They get it. And if they don't, they've got plenty of teammates to remind them. It's got to come from them. It's everybody. It's the whole atmosphere. You're always a week away from having the sky open up and everything's sunny. But you've got to make it happen. You can't say, 'It's one of those things everybody goes through.' No, you've got to make it happen."

Update: Machado singled in the fourth and scored with one out on Davis' double to break a scoreless tie.

J.J. Hardy singled to put runners on the corners, but Snider bounced into a 1-6-3 double play. Archer has thrown 83 pitches in four innings.

Tillman has retired nine of 10 batters. The Rays don't have a hit.

Update II: John Jaso singled off Darren O'Day with two outs in the eighth to score Kevin Kiermaier and tie the game 1-1.

O'Day replaced Tillman after Kiermaier's leadoff walk. Tillman is charged with one run and two hits over seven-plus innings, with three walks, four strikeouts and a hit batter. He threw 92 pitches, 58 for strikes.

Tillman didn't allow a run in a career-high 16 consecutive innings dating back to his July 10 start against the Nationals. His streak is the longest this season by an Orioles starter. Mike Wright had tossed 14 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Update III: Tim Beckham singled up the middle with two out and the bases loaded to score two runs and give Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead.

O'Day stands to be the loser. And the Orioles are blowing a chance to gain a game on the Yankees, who are losing tonight.

Update IV: The Orioles lose for the 15th time in 20 games, falling to the Rays 3-1.

The Orioles are three games below .500 for the first time since June 9.

O'Day had allowed three earned runs over his last 33 innings since April 13.