Matusz takes another loss as Orioles drop series opener

On a night when his teammates didn't support him much at times on both offense and defense, Brian Matusz gave up six runs to take another loss as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Orioles 6-3 in game one of a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif. Matusz allowed nine hits and four earned runs over five-plus innings as he falls to 0-3 with an ERA of 7.98. He is now 0-12 since his last win on June 6, 2011. The club record for consecutive losing decisions is 13 by Mike Boddicker over parts of the 1987 and 1988 seasons. The Orioles made three errors behind Matusz and for a while it was four until a scoring change late in the game. The Orioles lead the American League with 16 errors. The offense produced just one run while Matusz was in the game. Matusz walked two around an infield hit to start the last of the sixth and Howie Kendrick plated all the runs with a double off Darren O'Day. The runs were charged to Matusz's line as Los Angeles increased its lead at that point from 3-1 to 6-1. Nolan Reimold hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning as part of a 3-for-5 day. Over his last six games, Reimold is batting .480 (12-for-25) with five homers and nine RBIs. Nick Markakis snapped a 5-for-43 stretch over 11 games by going 2-for-3 with a walk. The Orioles fall to 8-6 on the season and 5-3 on this 10-game road trip. The Orioles are now 3-2 in series-opening games. If the Orioles can take the next two games in Anaheim, it will be the first time since August 1998 that the club has won each series on a three-city trip. Los Angeles, which has lost all four of its series so far on the season, improved to 5-9 and snapped a three-game losing streak. In game two of this series, Saturday night at 9 p.m eastern time, Jake Arrieta (1-0, 2.66 ERA) pitches for the Orioles against right-hander Jered Weaver (2-0, 2.18 ERA). Some notes after Friday's loss: *The Angels had scored just five runs during a three-game losing streak but got six in the win. Los Angeles began the day ninth in the AL in runs. *Oriole starting pitchers now have just two quality starts over the last 11 games and an ERA of 5.69 in that stretch. The O's bullpen, meanwhile, now has an ERA of 1.82 on this road trip. *Albert Pujols went 0-for-4 with a walk. He drove a ball to the wall in left field in the second inning, but is now without a homer in 14 games, his longest homerless stretch ever to begin a season. In four career games against the Orioles, Pujols is 7-for-17 with three doubles and six RBIs. *Reimold's homer tonight is his fifth on the year and that ties Adam Jones for the team lead. It is the Orioles 22nd on the season and they have 15 in eight games on this trip. *The Orioles are 7-1-1 in their last nine series dating to last season and are now 19-12 over their last 31 games.