O's fell in first-inning hole as losing streak continues

In baseball, what happens in all nine innings counts. and what happened today in the first inning at Boston was pretty big as the Orioles saw their losing streak to extended 11 games in a row.

They fell behind 3-1 after one frame on their way to a 6-2 loss. Boston swept this three-game series by a combined score of 30-5 after being swept there in the first series of the season when they were outscored by Baltimore 18-5.

Former O's farmhand Eduardo Rodriguez took the mound for Boston today, making his 23rd start, and got Cedric Mullins to strike out on a 92 mph fastball to start his day. But Austin Hays walked and Trey Mancini singled. Anthony Santander singled to left to load the bases, but left fielder J.D. Martinez's cutoff throw was a poor one and went for an error. Hays scored while Mancini and Santander advanced.

So they had a lead and a chance to turn that miscue into more runs, but the Orioles couldn't do it.

Ramón Urías fanned on a 94 mph fastball and Pedro Severino took some close pitches and was called out on a backdoor slider for the third out. With two in scoring position, he probably should have been more aggressive there, but the rally produced just one run.

The Orioles were 0-for-11 in this series batting with runners in scoring position and began today 0-for-34 over their past five games with RISP. They went 1-for-3 in that inning, but the hit by Santander would not have plated a run without the throwing error.

In the last of the first, Baltimore lefty Keegan Akin made one really poor pitch and it cost him three runs.

Akin began with a record of 0-6 and ERA of 9.57 in his nine starts this season and the Orioles were 1-8 in those games.

In the first, he allowed a leadoff single, then got a double play ball. But Xander Bogaerts singled with two down. Akin then thought he got a third strike of Rafael Devers, didn't get the call and eventually walked him. That put two on for J.D. Martinez, who then brought them all in. He hit a three-run homer to left-center for the 3-1 lead. Akin threw an 86 mph slider that broke right over the middle of the plate. Martinez hit No. 23 and Boston was in the lead and on its way to another win over the Orioles.

The Red Sox got well this weekend, improving to 69-51. They entered the weekend having lost six of eight and 11 of 14 games. But they completed the series sweep as the Orioles' losing streak reached 11 games.

During this streak, the Orioles have been outscored 104-34.

The game did feature another scoreless inning from right-handed reliever Marcos Diplán, who recorded a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout in the last of the fifth. Diplán has now pitched 6 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings since his recall from Triple-A. Big league hitters are 0-for-19 against him.

As of game time, Diplán had not allowed a hit in his first three appearances over 5 1/3 innings, becoming the third player in O's history to not allow a hit in any of his first three outings. The others were Joe Borowski in 1995 and Jerry Walker in 1957. Diplán went 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA and nine walks, 26 strikeouts, and a 1.63 WHIP in 17 games, all in relief, for the Tides this season. He was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.

Akin allowed six hits and three runs over four innings to fall to 0-7 with an ERA of 8.13. He settled in a bit after allowing the homer and pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the last of the third. He threw 77 pitches, 50 for strikes.

Rodriguez allowed one unearned run and three hits over six innings to get the win and is now 9-6 with an ERA of 4.97. He is 3-0 with an ERA of 2.25 this year versus the Orioles. In 22 career games against his former organization, he is 12-5 with a 3.11 ERA.

Today's game ended with Mullins flying out with two men on. He went 0-for-5 as his hitting streak ended at 20 games.

The Orioles (38-78) fall to 10-17 since the All-Star break, 21-41 on the road and 4-9 versus Boston. They now head to St. Petersburg, Fla., to play the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night as their road trip continues.