Hammel's winless streak continues (Jones homers off Rivera, O's win 2-1)

NEW YORK - Orioles starter Jason Hammel gave up one run today. That's the good part. Hammel lasted only five innings, threw 102 pitches and left with the Orioles trailing the Yankees 1-0. Those are the bad parts. Hammel hasn't won since May 27 in Washington. His winless streak has reached seven starts. Rule 5 pick T.J. McFarland replaced Hammel to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. McFarland hasn't pitched since June 28, when he started against the Yankees and allowed three runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. This is his second appearance since June 23. The only run off Hammel came in the second inning on a leadoff walk to Zoilo Alomonte and single by Lyle Overbay, and a sacrifice fly by Eduardo Nunez. Hammel never had a clean inning. He walked Robinson Cano with two outs in the first, gave up a two-out single to Travis Hafner in the third, gave up back-to-back two-out singles to Nunez and Chris Stewart in the fourth and allowed a one-out single to Cano in the fifth before Hafner grounded into a double play. The one earned run is the second-fewest allowed by Hammel in 18 starts this season. He gave up two unearned runs against the Athletics over six innings on April 25. The offense has done nothing to offer support today against Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda. The Orioles are being shut out on three hits over seven innings. Matt Wieters doubled with one out in the second, and the next two batters grounded out. Nick Markakis doubled to lead off the fourth, and the next three batters failed to get the ball out of the infield. Adam Jones bounced back to the mound for the first out. Chris Davis and Wieters grounded to second. Wieters walked with two outs in the seventh, but J.J. Hardy lined out to center. The Orioles have scored six runs in three games this weekend. They've been held to two runs or fewer in four of the six games on this road trip. Hopefully, you saw the play Manny Machado made to end the sixth. If not, it will be replayed 4,000 times tonight. Machado tried to backhand a grounder from Luis Cruz along the line, but the ball deflected off his glove and rolled into foul territory. Machado quickly gathered it and threw off his back foot a few steps from the railing next to the Orioles dugout to retire Cruz. To have that kind of arm strength is just ridiculous. I'm not sure that I've seen a third baseman throw out a runner that deep in foul territory. Flashes of Brooks Robinson in the 1970 World Series. Except Brooks wasn't that close to the stands. Update: Kuroda came out of the game after seven innings and 88 pitches. David Robertson retired the side in order in the eighth. The Orioles don't have a hit since Markakis' double in the fourth. Wieters is their only baserunner during that span. McFarland tossed two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out one. Troy Patton is working the bottom of the eighth. Umpire Gary Darling blew a call at second base after the Orioles appeared to have Stewart picked off. It's worth mentioning because Darling was so horrible behind the plate during this series. His strike zone was awful, and his judgment at second base didn't prove to be any better. Update II: Jones hit a two-run homer to left field off future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, who was seeking his 30th save, to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. Markakis came pretty close to tying the game in the ninth, but the ball landed foul in the second deck in right field. He singled into center field for his third hit, and Jones followed with his 16th home run, and his first since June 18 off Detroit's Justin Verlander. Jim Johnson will pitch the bottom of the ninth, also going for his 30th save, and the 102nd of his career. Update III: Well, that was easy. Johnson struck out Lyle Overbay and Luis Cruz, and retired Eduardo Nunez on a grounder to first base to seal a much-needed 2-1 victory. Jones didn't have an extra-base hit in his last 15 games, since collecting a double on June 19. Today marked only the second blown save of the season for Rivera. The Orioles avoided being swept for the fourth time this season and suffering their first 1-0 loss since Sept. 20 at the old Yankee Stadium.