O's falling back in wild card race, plus Showalter on Hays

TORONTO - The Orioles lost further touch with the American League's second wild card spot last night. While Minnesota did not play, the Orioles lost their fifth straight and they are now 3 1/2 games behind the Twins.

The Orioles lost 4-3 to start a three-game series at Rogers Centre. They are 0-4 on a 10-game road trip. The last three losses have been by a total of four runs.

The Orioles are also two games under .500 at 71-73. Now they are again chasing a winning record, not to mention several teams ahead of them for that second wild card.

Minnesota (74-69) leads the Angels by one game for that spot with Texas two back, Kansas City three out and the Orioles 3 1/2 back along with Seattle. There are four teams ahead of the Orioles for the second wild card.

The Twins are on a pace to finish with 84 wins. The Orioles would have to go 13-5 to get to the 84-win mark.

The Orioles are running out of time and maybe gas, too. They have scored just eight runs during a five-game losing streak. Center fielder Adam Jones said there's nothing left to do but win - if they can.

"That seven-game winning streak a couple weeks ago really put us in a good situation and then a five-game losing streak put us in another situation, so I think we really need to focus on winning the inning," Jones said. "We still know we have very good chances to advance our season. If we don't take care of business and take care of the ball, we won't.

"I really don't think we feel pressure. We're grown men. We're professionals. We've all been in this situation, which I think is really good for this experience. I think we know what needs to be done. It's not like it's 2012, when we didn't really have any idea at this point in the season what to expect.

"I think we just understand that we just have to win. There's nothing else I can really say, except if we win, I think winning solves everything, heals everything, right? Time heals all wounds? Winning heals all wounds, too. Well, most of the them, at least."

Jones and Mark Trumbo made errors last night and it was the Orioles' 13th multi-error game. They had 10 last year. They are now 11-6 versus Toronto, but just 4-5 over the last nine meetings.

Hays awaits his chance: Outfielder Austin Hays has been with the Orioles for seven games, but has made just one start so far. He hit .411 in the minors this year versus lefty pitching, but the Orioles have not faced one lefty since he joined the team and won't the next two nights against the Blue Jays.

Some fans are clamoring for manager Buck Showalter to play the kid, but the skipper said even if he doesn't play, there are things Hays can gain from being on the team right now.

"He is taking it in," Showalter said during his pregame media session Monday. "That is the whole idea. I harken back on a lot of young players their first time up here. He's watching, taking it in.

"That is one thing that caught my eye about (Miguel) Castro. He really enjoys watching and playing the game. All indications are Austin is, too. They don't necessarily have to play to gain a lot from it. If you think they are going to be able to do it eventually, it is one less thing that they have to adjust to down the road."

Showalter feels there is something to be gained from Hays observing how the veterans go about their business and taking in other aspects of big league life.

"The discipline required. The fields - a lot of these guys don't ever play on AstroTurf and we have two teams in our division that play on AstroTurf," Showalter said. "I think you gain a lot of confidence. You have these perceptions of it up here and you want to take off the thought that it's some impossible level of play that only elite people ... but good things you do down there work up here, too. I think the biggest jump is the level of pitching you face every night compared to the minor leagues."