O's game blog: O's host Rays in series and homestand finale

The Orioles host the Tampa Rays this afternoon to wrap up an eight-game homestand and a 20-game stretch where the Orioles will have played 17 games at Camden Yards.

The Orioles are 4-3 on the homestand and 10-9 in the 20-game stretch that began on May 11 with the Orioles 5 ½ games out of first place.

The Orioles are 23-25 overall, 15-11 at home, 15-16 against the American League East, 4-3 on Sundays and 13-15 in May. The Orioles will have a losing month regardless of today's result.

A win yesterday would have improved the Orioles' record to the .500 mark for the first time since May 5.

But the club's offensive woes continued with a 3-0 shutout loss on Saturday. The Birds were shut out by the Rays for the 17th time in series history and the third this season (also April 8 and May 1). It was the sixth time the Orioles were blanked by Tampa Bay at Camden Yards, and first since Sept. 17, 2009.

The Orioles are just 9-for-60 (.150) in this weekend series with only one extra-base hit (a homer). The Orioles have now scored two runs or less in 11 of their last 20 games. They have six hits or less six times in the last eight game.

While the Orioles are 5-3 this year against the Rays, all three losses have come by shutouts and they have scored just 22 runs in those games. Yet they have held Tampa Bay to 17 runs in the season series and to two runs or less six times.

So Tampa Bay against Baltimore is not producing much offense. But if you like pitching, you've come to the right place.

Chris Tillman (2-6, 5.59 ERA) makes his 10th start of the year today and faces Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi (3-5, 2.31 ERA).

The Orioles are 3-6 when Tillman gets the start this year after going 24-10 in his starts last season. Tillman is 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA in two 2015 starts versus Tampa Bay.

Odorizzi has allowed two earned runs or less in four of his past five starts and ranks seventh in the AL in ERA. He has pitched into the seventh inning in nine of his 10 starts.

Odorizzi gets just 2.17 runs of support per every nine innings he pitches this year which ranks second lowest in the majors. The Rays have scored six runs in his five losses.

The Rays began a 10-game, three-city road trip with this series at Camden Yards. The trip also takes them to Los Angeles and Seattle, a journey of 13,272 miles. It's their longest road trip (mileage-wise) since 2011, when they ventured more than 14,000 miles to Seattle, Los Angeles, Baltimore and Detroit.