O's late rally comes up short as Rays win 5-4

After struggling for seven innings against former Oriole Erik Bedard, the Birds offense came to life in the eighth inning today. But the late rally fell short as Tampa Bay held off the Orioles for a 5-4 win in front of 36,387 at Camden Yards. Bedard, who entered with a 6.30 career ERA against Baltimore, gave up just a Nick Markakis homer in the sixth and took a 5-1 lead to the eighth. But after a J.J. Hardy single and Manny Machado two-run homer, Grant Balfour came on. The Orioles rallied against the right-hander, who got two outs but gave up two hits. Jake McGee came in and was greeted by an Adam Jones run-scoring single and it was a 5-4 game. But McGee got Nelson Cruz to fly out with two on and end the threat. In the ninth, McGee retired Chris Davis, Hardy and Machado in order to get a save and drop the Orioles to 14-12 in one-run games. Wei-Yin Chen gave up five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings today in the shortest start of his career. He allowed three homers to tie his career-high. Chen gave up homer to Desmond Jennings leading off the game. He allowed a two-run homer to Logan Forsythe in the second. Forsythe had not homered in 141 at-bats for the season until he hit an 84 mph Chen changeup out to left field. No. 9 hitter Kevin Kiermaier added a two-run shot in the fourth. Chen took a loss for the first time since May 3. He had been 4-0 over his last nine starts and was 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA in five June starts coming into today. Five pitchers followed Chen to the mound and the O's bullpen was outstanding again today with 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The O's bullpen has given up just one earned run in 29 2/3 frames over the last eight games for an ERA of 0.30. The Orioles fall to 19-20 at home, 22-15 against the American League East and 42-38 for the season. With Toronto's loss this afternoon, they remain 1 1/2 games out of first in the division. The Orioles will need to win tomorrow to split this series or they will have their first AL East series loss since April 11-13 against Toronto.