Hitting on some offensive topics as O's try to avoid sweep

A loss today would be the 10th in a row for the Orioles, their longest streak since May 26-June 5, 2010. A home losing streak of 12 games would establish a club record.

Being swept by the Marlins wouldn't do much for their confidence, either. This team is trying so hard to tank, its mascot should include an ammunition rack. But the Orioles have dropped the first two games of the series.

How can rock bottom keep moving on them?

The removal of Chris Davis from the lineup hasn't cured everything that's ailing the Orioles. They're lost all four games while tallying nine runs. Soft spots decorate the order.

Davis was just the most expensive.

The bats did perk up a bit yesterday. The Orioles outhit the Marlins 11-8. They strung together three straight two-out hits in the third and seventh innings. But it still feels empty without the win.

The Orioles didn't take their usual batting practice rounds yesterday, but players headed for the cage in shifts. Davis was included in a group with Manny Machado and Pedro Álvarez, and he stayed back to hit against vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson.

Anderson moved from behind the screen multiple times to chat with Davis at home plate. There was some serious instruction going on, and it followed hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh's exercise of delivering underhand tosses that the trio hit to the opposite field.

Adam Jones, Machado and Danny Valencia had consecutive singles to right field in the seventh, the latter scoring the Orioles' fourth run. Walks to Mark Trumbo in the eighth and pinch-hitter Corban Joseph in the ninth were wasted, as the Marlins trotted out a couple of relievers who were less familiar to me than the capital of Nauru.

(I'm joking, of course. Nauru is the only country in the world without a capital.)

Davis' t-shirt was soaked with sweat as he returned to the clubhouse and he was in good spirits. It may not provide a solution, but Davis is working on making changes to his approach at the plate. He's been stubborn to do so, according to multiple people in the organization, but he's currently under renovation.

Manager Buck Showalter noticed a different sound coming from Davis' bat yesterday as he made contact. I saw Davis drive a ball to left-center field against Anderson that slammed off the fence in what seemed like two seconds, but probably took a little longer. Statcast data was unavailable. But trust me, it was a rope.

The Marlins are starting right-hander Trevor Richards, a rookie making his eighth major league start. He's 1-3 with a 4.41 ERA and 1.385 WHIP in 34 2/3 innings. He's got reverse splits, with left-handers hitting .217 against him and right-handers .265. Left-handers had a .125 average against him while he pitched at Triple-A New Orleans and right-handers hit .260.

The previous year in Double-A, left-handers hit .195 and right-handers .257. He also pitched at the Single-A level and left-handers hit .172. It's just how he rolls.

Davis could return to first base or it could be Joseph again. Maybe it's Trey Mancini if Showalter leans on the splits, but I'm guessing it's going to be one of the left-handed bats.