O's lose another close game as Tampa Bay rallies in eighth for win

Even on a night they took the lead for the first time since Sunday and got a great outing from their starter, the Orioles still lost. Tampa Bay scored three runs in the last of the eighth off Chris Tillman and Darren O'Day. The Rays rallied to beat the Orioles 3-1 at Tropicana Field.

The Orioles have lost four in a row, 10 of 13 and 15 of 20 games to fall to 46-49 for the season.

Their offense produced just one run off Chris Archer and that was not enough for their pitching tonight, even as good as Tillman was.

Tillman took the 1-0 lead and a two-hit shutout to the eighth, and then issued a leadoff walk to Kevin Kiermaier and Buck Showalter called for O'Day after Tillman's 92nd pitch. Kiermaier stole second base and scored on John Jaso's two-out single for the 1-1 tie. A single and intentional walk then loaded the bases ahead of Tim Beckham's two-run single for a 3-1 lead.

Tillman had pitched 16 consecutive scoreless innings entering the eighth. For the night, he went seven innings plus one batter allowing two hits and one run. Over his last two starts, he has allowed three hits and one run. Over his last five starts, he has pitched to an ERA of 1.38.

The Orioles, who never held a lead in the series at New York, took the 1-0 lead in the fourth. Manny Machado led off the frame with a single. One out later, he scored on a Chris Davis double down the right-field line on the first pitch he saw. It was Davis' 56th RBI.

The O's did not score further off Archer, but they did elevate his pitch count. Archer went six innings allowing five hits and the one run with two walks and nine strikeouts. It was the 12th start this year where he gave up one earned run or less to tie for the AL lead. Archer has an ERA of 4.08 in three starts against Baltimore this year.

But it is hard to protect a lead of just 1-0, and the Orioles could not tonight as O'Day takes the loss to fall to 5-1. The Orioles were held to six hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They have scored just nine runs the last four games.

In the second game of the series on Saturday night, Miguel Gonzalez (8-6, 4.21 ERA) faces right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (8-3, 3.54 ERA).