Looking back at the latest Orioles loss

The Orioles continue moving on like a boat taking on water, springing leaks all over. After getting four straight quality starts - a season-high - Kevin Gausman allowed six runs over 5 1/3 innings last night. The defense behind him collapsed with three errors in the sixth, leading to an unearned run. The offense finally scored some runs and hit three homers, but still fell well short.

The New York Yankees beat the Orioles 8-5 in front of 32,823 at Camden Yards that included a lot of fans that spent of lot of time chanting "Let's go Yankees." That can't sit well with anyone around Birdland.

At a time when the Orioles already have too many first base/DH types, there was a report last night that they have interest in Hanley Ramirez, who was released by Boston. I don't understand why they would look to add Ramirez. If they were a couple of games out of a playoff spot, maybe he could pump some life into this offense. But they are buried in the standings. They should be looking at players like Cedric Mullins, not Ramirez.

It is time for the rest of this season to be about the future since the present has been a disaster. How can a record of 17-41 not crush the spirits of fans and players alike? It is crushing. Center fielder Adam Jones plays as hard as anyone in that clubhouse and is usually as upbeat as any. He was pretty quiet and somber during last night's postgame interview, and why wouldn't he be? The losing has put a damper on everything.

"Not frustrated, like angry-frustrated. Professionally frustrated," Jones said. "Because, all the time and effort you put into the offseason and spring training and right now it's not working as a team. It comes with that. Only reason we play this game is to win and we're not doing it right now. So it's professional frustration. But I've been around a while, so I kind of know how to handle it and not let it fester and become a cancer."

But it has festered and the boat is springing leaks everywhere.

The Orioles defense didn't give Gausman much help in that sixth inning last night with two errors on Jones and one on Jonathan Schoop. But he also allowed two-run homers to Miguel Andújar and Giancarlo Stanton that put the Orioles in a 4-1 hole by the top of the third.

Gausman, who is now 3-5 with an ERA of 4.63, blamed himself and not anyone on defense for his troubles last night.

"I got into a lot of situations and pitched out of a good amount of them," he said. "Obviously, that sixth inning was really what beat me. It comes down to execution of pitches. After that, it seemed like I really had a hard time throwing my changeup and split down in the zo​ne. I got into some counts where they battled and put together some good at-bats. I just didn't execute my pitch."

In an eight-start stretch from April 11-May 22, he went 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA. But over his past two starts, Gausman has allowed 15 hits and 13 runs (12 earned) over eight innings. His ERA has increased from 3.48 to 4.63 over these past two starts.

The Orioles scored five runs last night and hit three solo homers. And that is certainly better. In the first four games of this homestand leading into Saturday, they had scored just three runs and hit two home runs. But during a seven-game losing streak, Baltimore batters have produced just 12 runs and they have 29 the last 13 games. The Orioles have scored three runs or fewer in 14 of the last 17 games, going 4-13 in that span.

The season is not devoid of positives. There is the play of Manny Machado, for one. Yesterday afternoon, I wrote here about the better pitching and recent improved velocity from right-hander Mike Wright Jr. We're ready and willing to write about positives.

But on a soggy Saturday night in Baltimore, there were almost none to be found.