Ubaldo Jimenez and Steve Pearce comment after O's loss to Angels

For a baseball team, scoring two runs on eight hits is not a big night on offense. But that is the Orioles' total in two games this weekend against Los Angeles Angels pitching.

"You know, we are just not getting the timely hits right now," Steve Pearce said after tonight's 6-1 loss. "Hitting a lot of balls hard right at people. Tomorrow is a new game and we have to shake it off. We're still four or five games back. Still a long season and we are hoping to turn this thing around starting tomorrow."

The Orioles have batted just .129 (8-for-62) this series and have now scored two runs or less 11 times this year, losing all 11 games. They have scored three runs or less eight times the last 14 games and averaging just 2.9 runs per game this month.

"You know, you have a tough team coming in, but we had the home field advantage. Both days they scored some late-inning runs, so you know we definitely wanted to win these games at home. It is frustrating from a team standpoint right now," Pearce said.

Pearce did end a 21-game homerless stretch tonight with a shot to left in the fourth and went 2-for-3 after beginning the game batting just .176.

"Starting to feel more comfortable at the plate," he said. "That is what it comes down to. We have another tough pitcher tomorrow so, new game and we have to shake this off and get them tomorrow."

Another night with just one run by the offense made it hard for Ubaldo Jimenez to leave with a win despite giving up just two runs and seven hits over seven innings.

The most frustrating inning for him was the top of the seventh. He entered it leading 1-0, then exited it trailing 2-1 after three infield hits and four overall in that inning by the Angels.

"It's part of the game," Jimenez said. "Nothing you can do about it. I made some good pitches and they got three infield hits. What else can you do?

"I was able to go deep in the game and I minimized the damage and tried to give the team a chance to even the score."

In his last eight starts at Oriole Park, Jimenez is 6-1 with a 2.28 ERA. He has an ERA of 1.29 in four home starts this year.

Tonight was the fifth time in seven games and ninth time in the last 15 that an O's starter pitched seven innings or more. Jimenez hopes that stat pays off later for the Orioles.

"That is what you are looking to do as a starter," he said. "Try to get deep in the game. It will help our ballclub in the end. I know right now things are not going well and we are not putting everything together. But I mean at the end of the year, that is something we want to do. It will give us a chance to win some games."

Jimenez tonight recorded his first start without allowing a walk since Sept. 19, 2013 against Houston.

After tonight's game, Buck Showalter announced that right-hander Mike Wright will make the start here Sunday afternoon. Wright will be making his major league debut in the series finale.

The Orioles are now four games under the .500 mark for the first time since Sept. 28, 2011. That was the night they beat the Boston Red Sox in walk-off fashion on Robert Andino's hit.