O's extend five-runs streak as they lose series finale (quotes added)

The Orioles extended their club-record streak for pitching futility and pulled to within one of a major league record tonight. And they looked bad in doing so.

O's starter Wade Miley gave up four runs in the first three innings and the Indians went on to beat the Orioles 6-3 at Camden Yards. The Indians take three of four in the series.

Orioles pitchers have now allowed five runs or more for 19 consecutive games, one shy of the most in major league history. That was a 20-game streak by the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies. The Orioles can tie that mark tomorrow night in St. Petersburg against the Rays.

Miley went five innings plus one batter and gave up eight hits and four runs. He needed a whopping 111 pitches to get that far. Over his past four starts, his ERA has jumped from 2.82 to 4.48.

In that stretch, he has pitched 15 2/3 innings, allowing 19 earned runs. O's starting pitchers have just two quality starts the past 17 games. They have gone less than six innings in 12 of 13 and 14 of the last 16 games.

So, yeah, it's been bad.

Make that 11 losses in 15 games and 21 in the last 31. Since starting the year at 22-10, the Orioles are 13-27. They have played .325 ball over a 40-game stretch. That is a pace to go 53-109 over a full year.

Seth Smith hit a leadoff homer tonight for a 1-0 lead. It was his sixth career leadoff homer and fourth this year, all in June. He blasted a Mike Clevinger pitch 426 feet to center.

But Cleveland had the lead moments later, scoring two in the second on Austin Jackson's RBI triple and Yan Gomes' single. A bases-loaded walk to Jonathan Schoop tied it 2-2 in the second. But Jackson's two-run single to left made it 4-2 in the third.

The O's had runners all over the place in the early innings but could not get a big hit. They went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six on base in the first three innings.

When No. 8 hitter Erik González homered off Richard Bleier in the sixth, the five-runs streak was extended. Fittingly, it came on an 0-2 pitch.

Down 6-2 and facing Andrew Miller in the last of the ninth, Manny Machado's RBI double pulled the Orioles within 6-3. But Miller got the last two outs to close out the game.

With another loss in the books, the Orioles (35-37) now hit the road Friday for a six-game trip to Tampa and Toronto. They are 11-23 on the road with 12 losses in the past 13 games away from Oriole Park.

Postgame quotes:

Mark Trumbo on all the recent losses: "Yeah, it's depressing, but it's part of the deal, part of the game. There is not a single person that has any sympathy for us and I get it. You know, tomorrow is a new day. It's a cliché, but it's the truth. And, you know, going to keep fighting. It's our job and we take pride in it."

Trumbo on if the team almost expects something to go wrong each night: "You'd have to ask everyone. I always keep an optimistic approach. I think there is always a chance. We've got a good group of guys that I know we can win with. If it doesn't happen, that can happen, too. But you give it your best effort and you can live with it."

Trumbo on why the offense has struggled so badly: "This series was very tough. That was elite pitching on that side. That was top tier. Every one of those guys has nice stuff and they are having good seasons by the large. And that was a grind. Overall (on the season), it is a part of the game. Some seasons go a little bit better. We could have huge second halves. This could be a totally different story. That's the mindset and really all you can do."

Miley on giving up two in the third after there were two outs and none on: "I felt like even after the two-out walk I was a pitch away three different hitters. But didn't execute the pitch. Probably a different ballgame if I could just execute. I had three chances to make a pitch and didn't."

Miley on if the staff has talked about the five-runs streak: "I mean, if there has been, it's kind of between us. It's in-house. We're going out there and working our tails off to try and get back on track. I think we're moving in the right direction."