Post-game Notes: Royals take series opener

The Orioles have now lost six of the last seven games. They have scored a total of 21 runs in those games and are batting just .252 as a team with 16 extra-base hits in that stretch. They have scored four runs or less six times in the last seven games. Six of the Orioles last seven losses have been by one or two runs. Starter Rich Hill pitched just 2 1/3 innings tonight. He gave up four hits and three runs with three walks. He is 3-3, 7.80 on the year. After the game he told reporters he has been dealing with shoulder tendonitis throughout this season. Hill is 0-0, 10.42 in five starts at home. Over his last six starts overall, his ERA is 10.73. Billy Butler had his first career five-hit game tonight to lead KC. The last Royal with a five-hit outing was Mark Teahen on April 17th of this year at Texas. Butler, who increased his batting average from .285 to .295, now has 28 multi-hit games. He had two doubles and has 31 on the year. Cesar Izturis was caught stealing in the 6th inning. That snapped a stretch of 12 straight stolen bases by the O's. Aubrey Huff snapped an 0 for 14 run with a first-inning single. He went 2 for 4 after going 8 for 62 over his previous 15 games. Huff has not knocked in a run over his last eight games and has just 2 RBI over the past 16 games. Brian Bass pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief tonight. It was his 8th appearance of over three innings. In those outings his ERA is 2.60. The O's have now lost six of the last seven and eight of ten games. They have lost 14 of 21 and 19 of their past 29 contests. The O's have gone 14 games without a triple. Nolan Reimold went 2 for 3 with a walk. Over his last four games he is 9 for 13 (.692) with three doubles and an RBI. He is now batting .287. Matt Wieters had an RBI single in the 5th, and is 6 for 17 with 2 RBI during a five-game batting streak. The O's fall to 2-3 this year vs. KC, 26-22 at home, 10-13 in two-run games and 7-14 in July.