The recent offensive struggles against the Rays and a take on Derek Lowe

In the series at Yankee Stadium the Orioles hit .345 as a team with 15 extra-base hits including four homers while 19 runs. But they began the series with Tampa Bay, Friday by losing 2-0, and recorded their eighth shutout on the season. In the last week and a half the Orioles are 1-3 against the Rays. In the three losses they have scored two runs total with just 18 hits - only two for extra bases - and a team average of .182. They are a combined 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position in those three losses. In ten games this season against the Rays pitching staff, the Orioles are batting just .223 with 31 runs and Tampa's team ERA in the season series is 2.38. In that recent series in Baltimore, Jeremy Hellickson and David Price combined to pitch 13 1/3 allowing two earned runs with no walks and 14 strikeouts. Now the Orioles face Hellickson and Price the next two days. The team must try to figure out a way to get some offense going against this very good pitching staff. Here we go again. We have reached another point in the season where the O's outlook doesn't seem great. Each time they've faced adversity, the O's seem to put up a few wins. Will it happen again this weekend? Meanwhile, on another topic, there have been some reports indicating the Orioles may have interest in pitcher Derek Lowe, who was recently DFAd by Cleveland. I just don't see it happening. Lowe had an ERA of 6.49 and opponent batting average of .317 in June. His ERA in July was 10.03 and batting average against was .363. His ERA is 11.94 since the All-Star break. Lefty batters are hitting .353 against him this year. Lowe's WHIP was an awful 1.51 last season and it is 1.69 now. Lowe has had a good career. He was once a top sinkerball pitcher and a real gamer. The Orioles have ties to him, I get all that. But I don't see anything over the last two months to tell me that he can help the Orioles. They are a team that could use starting pitching upgrades. I just don't see Lowe being one of them.