O's bats are quiet in series-opening loss at Oakland

On Sunday in Chicago, the Orioles scored 10 runs in the first three innings. Tonight at Oakland, the Orioles produced two over nine innings in a 3-2 loss to the Athletics to begin a four-game series.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman has now made 24 consecutive road starts without gaining a win. He gave up just two runs, but the Orioles scored him just one when he was in the game as he fell to 3-9 with an ERA of 4.02.

Manny Machado hit another homer tonight. His solo blast in the eighth off Ryan Dull pulled the Orioles to within 3-2. It was his fourth in two days and No. 26 on the season. Machado's blast to left-center had an exit velocity of 109 mph and traveled 446 feet according to Statcast. The Orioles have hit 15 homers in the last seven games.

Now 2-2 on this 10-game road trip, the Orioles are 63-48 overall and they lost ground tonight to the Blue Jays, who beat the Rays 7-5. The clubs are once again tied for first in the American League East.

The Orioles scored first tonight and took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to the first baseman. Three straight third-inning singles by J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones and Hyun Soo Kim loaded the bases against right-hander Kendall Graveman. Kim's fly ball to right center fell in when two Oakland outfielders converged but did not make a play on the ball. The O's took advantage when Machado lifted a foul popup. First baseman Yonder Alonso made an over-the-shoulder catch with his back to the plate. His throw home was too late to get Hardy and it was 1-0 Orioles. Machado has nine RBIs over his last two games.

Oakland tied it 1-1 when catcher Stephen Vogt homered to lead off the fourth. He hit No. 9 on a 1-2 fastball at 95 mph that went 392 feet. In the sixth, Vogt drew a leadoff walk and scored the go-ahead run later on Billy Butler's single. It gave Oakland a 2-1 lead.

Oakland took advantage of another leadoff walk to make it 3-1 in the seventh off reliever Logan Ondrusek. He walked Ryon Healy to start the inning. Vogt came through again, this time with a two-out RBI single for the two-run lead.

Gausman went six innings allowing six hits and two runs with two walks and six strikeouts. He recorded his sixth quality start in his past eight games, but he has not won on the road since Aug. 17, 2014 at Cleveland.

Graveman got the win, allowing one run and six hits over seven innings. He is 8-7 with an ERA of 4.29. The Orioles hit four homers against him and scored six runs in 2 2/3 on May 8 in Baltimore, but they could not get much off him tonight. Oakland is 49-63 and won for just the second time in 10 games.

In the second game of this series on Tuesday night, Wade Miley (7-9, 5.08 ERA) makes his second O's start facing right-hander Zach Neal (1-1, 5.25 ERA).