Orioles' slide continues with 6-2 loss to Brewers

MILWAUKEE - Ubaldo Jiménez couldn't duplicate the magic.

Jiménez served up three home runs to the Brewers in five innings and the Orioles lost again today 6-2 before an announced crowd of 31,818 at Miller Park.

The Brewers finished with four home runs, the second from Eric Thames coming off reliever Tyler Wilson in the seventh inning.

Fireworks seemed appropriate on this day.

The Orioles are three games below .500 at 40-43 to match their worst mark of the season. They've lost four of their last five and five of seven.

Stephen Vogt hit a two-run homer in the second inning to provide Milwaukee with an early lead. Thames and Travis Shaw added solo shots in the fifth and Wilson entered the game in the sixth.

Jiménez tossed eight scoreless innings in Toronto in his last start, but he allowed five runs in five innings today, with three walks and seven strikeouts. The three home runs were the most off Jiménez since July 17, 2015 in Detroit.

The Orioles continue to play from behind, with the Brewers taking a 3-0 lead in the second on Vogt's home run and Orlando Arcia's RBI single after Keon Broxton reached on a bunt single and stole second.

Jiménez stranded two runners in the third and actually retired the side in order in the fourth with two strikeouts, but Thames and Shaw clobbered him in the fifth.

The rotation isn't the sole reason for the Orioles' latest slide.

Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson allowed one baserunner in the first four innings on Adam Jones' leadoff double in the second. He rationed the Orioles to an unearned run over seven innings, with no walks and eight strikeouts.

The Orioles have been held to two runs or fewer in four of their last seven games. They did, however, hit into some tough luck this afternoon.

Jones tried to advance to third base when the Brewers let Mark Trumbo's shallow fly ball drop in right field, but he overslid the bag and was out. Trey Mancini followed by grounding into a double play.

Trumbo and Mancini singled with one out in the fifth, but Caleb Joseph lined into a 5-4 double play. He smoked the ball and got two outs for it.

The Orioles finally broke through in the seventh. Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop opened the inning with singles and Jones grounded to third. Shaw stepped on the bag, thought about going for the triple play and threw wide of first base. Joey Rickard followed with an RBI single into center field to cut the lead to 5-1.

Rickard has replaced Trumbo, who exited with a bruised left calf caused by a foul ball. Rickard was inserted into right field in the bottom of the sixth.

The inning fizzled when Mancini and Joseph struck out.

Schoop homered with one out in the ninth, his 17th, to give him the team lead.

The Orioles will try to avoid being swept Wednesday night by sending left-hander Jayson Aquino to the mound for his second major league start. Is more evidence needed that this team is navigating through choppy waters?

They'd like to keep their heads above .500, but they're in deep.