Orioles can't seize early opportunities and lose to Rays 7-1 (updated)

Zach Eflin has provided a huge lift to the Orioles since his arrival in a trade with Tampa Bay. It was their turn to pick him up.

They owed him. They had numerous chances.

They didn’t do it.

Eflin served up leadoff home runs to Yandy Díaz in the first inning and Taylor Walls in the third, and the Orioles couldn’t deliver in the clutch in a 7-1 loss to the Rays before an announced crowd of 34,256 at Camden Yards, where rain held up the start for 27 minutes.

The Yankees won today and lead the division by a half-game.

The Orioles (82-61) stranded seven runners through the first four innings and nine in the game. Gunnar Henderson thought he hit a go-ahead, three-run homer with two outs in the fourth, lifting his bat over his head and beginning to walk up the first base line. But center fielder Jose Siri tracked the ball and made a leaping catch at the wall.

Henderson raised his helmet to salute Siri and slammed it to the ground. Siri pounded his chest.

"It was an unbelievable play," Henderson said. "Obviously wanted it to go over the fence, seeing how it was still a two-run ballgame.

"I wouldn’t say it changed the whole outcome, but it’s definitely not fun whenever a three-run homer turns into an out. Obviously, we could have had a lot more opportunities, but it definitely kind of halted the momentum."

Cedric Mullins hit a full-count home run off Ryan Pepiot leading off sixth to cut the lead to 3-1, his 15^th matching last season’s total.

Eflin was removed after 5 2/3 innings and 91 pitches with three runs and eight hits allowed. Gregory Soto struck out pinch-hitter José Caballero to strand two runners. Eflin surrendered multiple homers for only the third time this season and the first since June 16 in Atlanta.

“I felt like for the most part the stuff was good," said Eflin, who shut out the Rays over seven innings at Tropicana Field. "Maybe command of the pitches was a little off. But for the most part they did well on my mistakes and kind of made me pay for those.”

"I thought Eflin was good," Hyde said. "He gave up two solo homers, into the sixth and that breaking ball with two strikes to Walls. But Soto did a nice job of getting him out of that inning, but two runs going into the sixth inning is a good job."

Díaz launched a sweeper 440 feet to left field. Walls’ homer was his first of the season.

“I feel like both those pitches, they did what they should have with them," Eflin said. "At the end of the day I kind of fell behind a lot of guys and I really just feel like I couldn’t hit the corners like I normally did. I kind of kept a lot of pitches thigh-line, could have done a little better north and south. And they had a good approach against me today. They worked me. Tough day for us.”

Soto’s scoreless streak ended at 10 appearances after Matt Bowman inherited runners on second and third base with no outs in the seventh. Logan Driscoll reached on an infield hit with the bases loaded and two outs, and Ryan O’Hearn’s high throw to first base enabled Jonathan Aranda to cross the plate. Driscoll’s ball deflected off O’Hearn’s mitt, a play that could have resulted in two errors.

Driscoll came out of the game with a left quadriceps contusion. He tumbled down the dugout steps two innings earlier after catching a popup.

Díaz had an RBI single off Burch Smith in the eighth. Craig Kimbrel allowed a run in the ninth on Jonny DeLuca’s two-out triple and a wild pitch, and he's been scored upon in nine of his past 17 appearances.

Austin Shenton led off the fifth inning with a double and was stranded, with Eflin striking out the next two batters with his cutter. Two-out singles by Siri and Walls in the sixth allowed DeLuca to score for a 3-0 lead.

Eflin registered quality starts in his first five outings with the Orioles. He returned from the injured list Sunday in Colorado and allowed only one run in seven innings.

The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the second inning on Colton Cowser’s walk, catcher’s interference with Mullins batting and Jackson Holliday’s single. Emmanuel Rivera struck out on three pitches and James McCann flied out.

Walls led off the top of the third with his home run, punishment for the Orioles wasting their own opportunity.

They put runners on the corners with one out in the third when Adley Rutschman walked and O’Hearn singled, but Anthony Santander flied to shallow center field and Cowser struck out.  Rivera and McCann singled with two outs in the fourth and Siri broke Henderson’s heart.

Henderson busted the ear flap on his helmet after spiking it.

Anthony Santander singled with two outs in the fifth and Cowser grounded out. Austin Slater came off the bench to draw a two-out walk in the eighth and pinch-hitter Coby Mayo struck out.

"We squandered a couple opportunities there early, and then Siri with a great catch on Gunnar for what would've been a three-run homer there," Hyde said. "Just kind of a struggle all around today, honestly. We wasted opportunities offensively, and we made a mistake defensively and gave up too many runs.

"You've got to take advantage of opportunities there early to swing the game, get a little momentum going early. But just didn't do it."

The Orioles are down to their last 19 games and manager Brandon Hyde said this afternoon that his club is “in that sprint mode right now.”

That’s the only way to stay ahead of the Yankees or to catch them. Gotta keep moving.

“We’re watching to see what’s going on around the league,” he said. “We’re tired, but our guys are doing a great job of grinding through it and I expect us to finish the season strong.”

So does the rest of the clubhouse. But the Orioles are 24-23 since the break.

"Just play ball," Henderson said. "There’s not really a secret formula. Just go out there and continue to play hard. It’s bound to flip around at some point."

"I think it’s just honestly maintaining positivity and showing up every day expecting to win a baseball game," Eflin said. "It’s really all we can control. There’s no lack of energy or effort or anything. It’s more so just getting the job done. I’m not worried at all. I think we’re gonna be just fine.”

* The Orioles signed Terrin Vavra to a minor league deal, bringing the infielder back to the organization.

The Mariners claimed Vavra after the Orioles designated him for assignment on Aug. 21. They designated him on the 31^st, but he refused an outright assignment and elected free agency.