Post-game notes: The losing streak reaches eight

Telling a sad tale: Oakland beat the Orioles 4-2 Friday night and has taken the first two games of this four-game series. The Orioles are 0-2 on a ten-game road trip. That's a 1-10 start and eight losses in a row for the Orioles. They are 1-4 in road games. The Orioles fall to 1-5 in games decided by two runs or less. The Orioles have lost now eight in a row at Oakland dating to July of 2007 and are just 1-12 in their last 13 vs. the A's. Oakland is 67-28 vs. Baltimore since 1999. No beef: It was another night of little on offense for the Birds. They have scored just four runs in this series and two runs or less in six of the last seven games. They have scored three runs or less in eight of 11 games on the season. The O's have scored just five runs the past three games. Tonight, they had a season-low five hits and went 5 for 30 at bat. The team average on the year is just .227, the lowest it has been this year. The Orioles have just 14 hits in this series. He deserves better: Kevin Millwood gave up nine hits and four runs (three earned) over six innings and took a tough-luck loss and is 0-2, 2.89. He threw 115 pitches, the most by an O's starter this year. Millwood has recorded back-to-back quality starts. On the year he has pitched 18 2/3 innings over three starts and has struck out 20 batters and allowed just one walk. His pitch count escalated early on Friday night. He threw 35 pitches in the second inning and had 49 for the game at that point. Most pitches by a starter this year: 115 - Kevin Millwood, tonight vs. Oakland 105 - Jeremy Guthrie, 4-12 vs. Tampa 100 - Keven Millwood, 4-6 at Tampa Winning pitcher Dallas Braden retired the first ten batters he faced. He improved to 2-0, 2.70 and gave up just two runs over seven innings, throwing 92 pitches. The lefty Braden is now 5-1, 1.58 in six career games vs. the O's. In four games at Oakland vs. Baltimore, he is 3-1, 1.54. A's starting pitchers are now 6-0, 2.48 on the year. They began Friday as one of only two teams, along with Philadelphia that did not have a starter with a loss. Oakland has allowed five runs or less in all 12 of its games. The A's are 8-4 on the year and have the AL's best home record at 5-1. Tonight's attendance at Oakland was 12,225 and the time of game was two hours and nine minutes. Updating RISP: O's hitters tonight went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and are 0 for 15 the last three games and just 2 for 38 (.053) over the last seven games batting with RISP. They are hitting .128 (10 for 78) on the year. Ty Wigginton's two-run home produced the O's only runs on Friday. It was his team-leading third homer and his third in the last four games. Wigginton is 5 for 15 over the last four games. Luke Scott went 0 for 3, snapping a five-game hit streak. Garrett Atkins single in the 8th snapped a 1 for 17 stretch. Nick the stick: Nick Markakis had two doubles in four at bats. It was his second multi-hit game of the season and he now has five doubles. He has four extra-base hits over his last three games and is 6 for 16 during a four-game batting streak. Matt Wieters went hitless Friday and is 0 for 11 over the last three games. Since beginning the year with six hits in his first 12 at bats, he is just 4 for 24 and his average is at a season-low, .278. Saturday afternoon at 4:07, the O's and A's play game three of this series. Jeremy Guthrie (0-2, 4.05) will make his third start. In five career starts vs. Oakland he is 1-3, 6.26. Righty Justin Duchscherer (1-0, 3.46) starts for the A's. He pitched seven scoreless Monday at Seattle as the A's won via a shutout. He is 2-0, 2.78 in nine career games vs. the Orioles.