One that got away: O's lose lead in the eighth and tie in ninth in loss

For the Orioles, it was another night of strong pitching by left-hander John Means. He was on his way to his sixth win with a strong six-inning outing and a one-run lead. But Mychal Givens, tasked with pitching a second inning, gave up a game-tying home run. Branden Kline, tasked with holding the tie, gave up a two-run homer in the ninth and Detroit stormed back to win.

Scoring three times the last two innings, Detroit beat the Orioles 4-2 tonight at Camden Yards. The Orioles were going for their first series win since April 22-24. But they instead lost the rubber game of this series and are 0-9-1 in the past 10 series.

The struggling Givens came on with a 2-1 lead and pitched a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. But catcher John Hicks led off the eighth with a homer to tie it and send the O's to the bullpen. Givens has allowed nine runs and four homers over his last five games, covering four innings.

Kline came on in the ninth. He issued a leadoff walk and, one out later, Brandon Dixon's homer to right-center gave the Tigers the 4-2 lead on a first-pitch slider. Kline takes the loss to fall to 1-2.

Means was paired tonight with catcher Austin Wynns, who caught him often when both were on the farm and the pairing got off to a smooth start.

The lefty retired the first nine batters to face him - three on strikeouts - on 43 pitches. Trailing 1-0, Detroit tied the game in the fourth. Niko Goodrum led off with an infield single. An out later, a Nicholas Castellanos double to right-center made it 1-1.

But Means stranded Castellanos there to hold the tie and stranded another runner at second in the seventh. In that inning, he fanned Goodrum swinging at a 93 mph fastball for a career-high seventh strikeout.

He gave up three hits and one run tonight as his ERA dropped to 2.80. His 103 pitches tonight included 48 four-seam fastballs that averaged 91.5 mph and topped at 94. He added 31 changeups and 20 sliders. Means recorded his third quality start and gave up exactly one earned run for the sixth time in nine starts.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the first. Trey Mancini was hit by a pitch with two outs and scored on Renato Núñez's double to left off left-hander Ryan Carpenter. Núñez produced his team-leading 32nd RBI on a ball he drilled 112 mph. Núñez has an RBI in seven of his last eight games, driving in 12 in that span.

Keon Broxton's opposite-field homer leading off the fourth broke the 1-1 tie and put the Orioles ahead. He hit No. 2 on a first-pitch fastball that traveled an estimated 383 feet.

But two runs was not enough for O's pitching tonight and the Orioles fall to 17-39. They have lost 10 of 12, 13 of 16 and 23 of their last 30 heading into Thursday's off day.