O's seven-inning win streak ends as Tampa scores six in ninth to win

Things are just not going well in Birdland these days. The Orioles took a 6-4 lead to the top of the ninth this afternoon, but Jim Johnson suffered his second straight blown save after converting 35 straight, as Tampa Bay scored six in the ninth to win 10-6 over the Orioles. With the loss, the Orioles' regular season win streak of 109 straight when leading after the seventh inning has ended. It's their first such loss since Aug. 8, 2011. Today, they led 6-4 after the seventh. Johnson gave up five runs on three hits and two walks in 1/3 of an inning to take the loss. He has allowed seven hits and seven runs in 1 1/3 over his last two appearances. His ERA jumped from 0.95 to 3.98 in those two outings. Matt Joyce drove in two runs in the ninth and had a five RBI day as Tampa won for the eighth time in the last 10 games. Jair Jurrjens stood to be the winner before Tampa's comeback. Jurrjens allowed six hits and four runs over five innings, throwing 75 pitches in his first-ever game at Oriole Park. It was the seventh time in the past eight games that an O's starter could not deliver a quality start, (3 ER or less over 6 IP or more,) and the starters' ERA is 7.32 over those eight games. O's starters have worked five or fewer innings in six of the last seven games. The Orioles gave Jurrjens a quick 4-0 lead in the last of the first. Nick Markakis came up with an RBI double, and Adam Jones followed with a two-run homer. Chris Davis then made it back-to-back homers off Roberto Hernandez, hitting one out to left field. It was his 12th homer of the year and the 44th in his past 165 games. Jones knocked in a run with a groundout in the fourth and tied his season high with three RBIs today. The Orioles have lost four in a row for the first time this season. They have lost six of the last eight games to fall to 23-19 overall. Tampa will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon. In an excellent pitching matchup: Chris Tillman (3-1, 3.40 ERA) faces Tampa lefty Matt Moore (7-0, 2.44 ERA).