O's game blog: Orioles, Rays begin second half tonight at the Trop

The Orioles begin the second half tonight at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in the start of a three-game series.

To say the Rays are struggling is an understatement. They have lost six in a row and 10 of 11 games. Since June 16, they are 3-22. During that 25-game stretch, the Rays' team ERA is 5.99 and their bullpen ERA is 7.84. Before this stretch, their team ERA was 4.03 and the bullpen ERA was 3.63.

The Rays just lost three in a row to Boston before the All-Star break by a combined 14-6 score. They have been outscored those past 25 game 156-78.

During Tampa's swoon, the Rays were swept in a four-game series in Baltimore from June 24-26 by a 31-14 score. The Orioles are 7-2 on the year against the Rays and have won the last five games between the teams. The Orioles are 6-0 in Baltimore and 1-2 in St. Pete versus the Rays.

On the mound tonight, right-hander Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.82 ERA) faces right-hander Chris Archer (4-12, 4.66 ERA).

In four starts before he went on the DL, Gallardo was 1-1 with an ERA of 7.00. In five starts since his return to the roster, he is 2-0 with a 4.97 ERA. He has recorded just one quality start in nine outings this season, but the Orioles are 6-3 in those games.

Archer finished fifth in the Cy Young voting last year when he went 12-13 with a 3.23 ERA. But this year he has allowed four runs or more 10 times in 19 starts and in four of his past five starts.

The Rays are 5-14 in Archer's starts this year after going 18-16 last season. In nine home starts, he is 1-6 with a 2.70 ERA. In 11 career games (10 starts) versus the Orioles, Archer is 3-5 with a 4.48 ERA and 1.425 WHIP.

O's active hitting streaks to begin the second half:

* J.J. Hardy has hit in seven straight, batting .407 (11-for-27)

* Adam Jones has hit in eight in a row, batting .308 (12-for-39)

* Mark Trumbo has hit in eight in a row, batting .387 (12-for-31)

* Jonathan Schoop has a nine-game hitting streak, batting .351 (13-for-37)

Trumbo has homered four times in his last four games. Over his past 13 games, he has hit seven homers with 16 RBIs.