Quality start for Means can't prevent 4-3 loss (updated)

The Orioles keep a shorter bench to provide manager Brandon Hyde with an extra reliever, a survival tactic with his starters routinely unable to provide much length.

More position players are coming with rosters expanding on Wednesday. Meanwhile, with the timing odd, Hyde's rotation is attempting to produce the kind of streak that the Orioles won't regret.

Keegan Akin closed out the Angels series by going a career-high seven innings. Matt Harvey logged six last night before succumbing to the humidity and the effects of a 36-pitch first.

John Means shut out the Rays tonight over 6 1/3 innings, but it was the last positive development for the Orioles.

Dillon Tate let both inherited runners score after replacing Means, Randy Arozarena hit a two-run homer off Cole Sulser in the eighth and the Rays defeated the Orioles again 4-3 before an announced crowd of 11,110 at Camden Yards.

Tampa Bay improved to 17-1 against the Orioles (40-88) this summer, including 8-0 in Baltimore.

"Just pesky," Means said. "They know how to put their guys in situations to succeed and I think that's what happened tonight. They matched up pretty well for a couple hitters and they just know how to win. That bullpen's tough."

Kevin Kiermaier drew a leadoff walk against Sulser, who hadn't been scored upon in 13 of his last 16 appearances, and Arozarena reached the edge of the flag court for his eighth home run against the Orioles this season. He also has 18 RBIs.

'We just don't pitch well against him," Hyde said. "His numbers against everybody else aren't really what they are against us."

Spenser Watkins closes out the series Sunday afternoon and hasn't been able to counter the adjustments made by the league since his first three successful starts. He'll keep trying as long as the Orioles allow it.

The starter on Monday night in Toronto is undecided and could be Chris Ellis again, which has the makings of a bullpen game.

A quieter 'pen makes for a calmer manager, but so does one that holds a late lead. It didn't happen tonight.

Means retired 17 of 20 batters through the sixth on 86 pitches. Ramón Urías robbed Wander Franco with a diving catch leading off the seventh, but Yandy Díaz singled on a ground ball up the middle and held at third after a wide turn on Brandon Lowe's double - the ball barely landing inside the right field line.

This was Means' longest outing since he went 6 2/3 on July 25 against the Nationals. He threatened to register his first scoreless outing since May 11 at Citi Field.

"Pitched really well," Hyde said. "Got tired there in the seventh a little bit, but outstanding six-plus innings. No walks, five punchouts. I thought he had all his pitches working, kept them off-balance extremely well, pitched inside extremely well against their right-handed hitters and left with a lead."

Díaz scored on pinch-hitter Austin Meadows' ground ball and pinch-hitter Joey Wendle doubled to reduce the lead to 3-2.

Tate had stranded runners in back-to-back appearances after allowing each of his previous 11 to score. Means was charged with two runs and five hits with no walks and five strikeouts, his removal coming after 95 pitches.

Means was 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA and 1.525 WHIP in 20 1/3 innings in his four starts against the Rays before tonight.

"That seventh inning, I've got to be able to shut the door, especially after scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth," Means said. "That shutdown inning is so important and I just couldn't get the job done. I was getting behind guys and gave up a couple hits. Happy with most of it, but that last part left a sour taste in my mouth."

Means has back-to-back quality starts for the first time since May.

"I felt a little bit more relaxed tonight," he said. "Instead of just putting some unneeded pressure on myself, I was just trying to have fun, relax and just play the game, and it seemed to help me."

Ryan Mountcastle's sacrifice fly in the fifth was the game's only run until Austin Hays pinch-hit for DJ Stewart and tripled off Adam Conley with one out in the seventh, Urías walked and Arozarena let Pedro Severino's line drive clear his head in left field for an RBI double.

Urías scored on Jorge Mateo's bloop single into center field. Kelvin Gutiérrez lined into a double play, but the Orioles led 3-0.

Means struck out three of the first six batters, two with his curveball and one on a 94-mph fastball. Urías made a nice backhand stop and throw from deep in the hole to retire Manuel Margot and end the second inning.

The first eight batters were retired before Kevin Kiermaier singled in the third inning. Means fielded Arozarena's roller near the mound and threw him out.

Díaz doubled with two outs and Severino caught his second popup in front of the plate. Margot led off the fifth with a single on a fly ball that almost produced a sensational diving catch by Cedric Mullins, who held it for a brief instant before it rolled out of his glove, but a fly ball to left and double play ended that threat.

Michael Wacha didn't surrender a run for 4 1/3 innings, with Conley replacing him after Severino's leadoff double, Mateo's strikeout and Gutiérrez's walk. Conley hit Mullins and Mountcastle flied to the left field warning track for a 1-0 lead.

Mateo returned to the lineup and reached on an infield hit leading off the third. He did it twice in his last game before leaving with lower-back discomfort.

He's still fast.

Mateo stole second base as Mullins struck out, hopping around the attempted tag after the throw beat him to the bag. He really was testing the back. Mountcastle walked and Anthony Santander flied to shallow left.

Mateo has 23 hits in 18 games with the Orioles.

Wendle, playing third base, made a diving stop along the line and threw out Mountcastle in the seventh. Another loud out for the rookie. And Arozarena made his usual noise against the Orioles in the eighth.

"I felt like I made a pretty good pitch to him," Sulser said, "but the problem is I fell behind in the count, which definitely gives the hitter more control and he can be more select or more aggressive on a pitch. So, it's kind of my fault for falling behind there. Put a good swing on, I think, a well-located pitch, but can't fall behind in the count like that."

Notes: Alexander Wells was removed tonight after only 26 pitches in two scoreless innings with Triple-A Norfolk, which lost 1-0 to Jacksonville. He allowed two hits and struck out two. Ryan Hartman tossed four scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and three strikeouts.

Johnny Rizer hit a grand slam at Double-A Bowie. Grayson Rodriguez went five innings and allowed two runs and three hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.

Conner Loeprich started for Single-A Aberdeen and allowed two runs and three hits in five innings, with four walks and four strikeouts.

Jean Pinto allowed two runs and one hit in five innings for Single-A Delmarva, striking out six batters. Billy Cook hit his first home run with the Shorebirds and had three hits.