Tillman on his struggles, Machado on the offense after loss to Rays

For the first time in his career, Chris Tillman has a six-game losing streak. He also has an ERA of 5.94, creating some concern about the Orioles' opening day pitcher for the last two years.

Tillman gave up nine hits and six runs (five earned) in today's 9-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He threw 93 pitches and falls to 2-7. That is one more loss than he had all of last year.

You can rule out a physical issue, said Tillman. I asked him if he is 100 percent.

"I feel good, yeah. I do. Physically, I feel good," he said.

But today the results were not there for him. A bloop double started a two-run second and Tillman allowed four runs after two were out and none were on in the Rays' fifth inning.

"Felt good," he said. "Threw a lot of good fastballs. Curveball came as I went. Changeup was good. Cutter, didn't throw it much. I left some pitches out over that they were able to do some damage on. Today was about (a lack of) damage control.

"Just need to be consistent with all my pitches. One start, the changeup is good. One start, the fastball is good. Being able to bring all that together and be consistent in the strike zone early and late. When you get guys on base, you have to limit the damage."

Tillman has been able to make the big pitch in key spots in the past, but not today. Or not at times during this year.

"Not consistently enough, no," he said. "Making some good pitches, but not enough. When you fall behind and don't make the quality pitch to get out of it, that is frustrating, it really is. We don't stop working, I've got to better. I've got some work to do."

Tillman was asked about this tough stretch, one where he is 0-6 over his last seven starts. Does it feel like he is going that badly?

"Result-wise yeah, but the process is there," Tillman said. "And you can't cheat it. We've been doing the work needed and the results will come. That is the way I've been my whole career. You have to go through the process and stay true to who you are and it's going to come.

"I've had my ups and downs and I feel like we're heading in the right direction. Saw a lot of positives today. The negatives kind of overwhelm, but I think we are getting somewhere. Just have to make that last big step and I think we'll be all right.

"Mentally, I'm good. I feel really good about where I am at. I just think it's execution. You make a pitch to get out of it and we're celebrating instead of heading on the road with a loss. Unfortunate that two guys had big days on offense and we could not come out of it with a win."

Meanwhile, Manny Machado, who homered twice today, was asked his take on the series loss to Tampa Bay.

"We battled and we came up short," Machado said. "I think everyone brought what they needed to bring out to the field. We left it out there and came up short. It was good to score some runs and swing the bats well. We've got to do a little better job, but we are getting there little by little."

The Orioles were closing in on the .500 mark after Friday's walk-off win, but now find themselves three games back again. What will it take to get over that hump?

"Everybody healthy," Machado said. "That is what it is going to take. That is a part of baseball, it is 162 games and we just have to keep battling and pick up each other."

Machado was asked if he has any explanation for or if it was frustrating for the Orioles to score 5.6 runs per game in April, but just 3.3 in May.

"That is your guys' sabermetric whatever you want to say. We are just out there playing baseball," he said. "We don't care about how many runs we score, we want to get the win at the end of the day. We'll go out and score as many as we can and win a ballgame.

"Got to keep swinging the bats. There are days you swing the bat well, but pitchers are going to be dealing. You have to tip your cap, they have a job to keep as well. So just have to keep swinging and at the end of the day, it's all about the W."