With latest loss, the Orioles are falling back in the wild card race

How many times this year has it looked like the Orioles were in big trouble in the standings? Well, the latest is now after the club's 5-0 loss last night in Cleveland.

They are facing nine more games on this road trip and now they are three games behind Minnesota for the second American League wild card with 21 games to go. They are 27-40 on the road where they will play 14 of those remaining 21 games.

So yeah, it could be looking better and they could be positioned better. The Orioles won seven in a row to get back in the race, but now they have lost three of their last four games and are 3-5 since the end of the winning streak.

Do the Orioles have another win streak in them? That is what it may take at this point. Chances are dwindling.

But the next two days they will be playing baseball's hottest team in Cleveland. The Indians are 85-56 and won their 16th straight last night. They have outscored their opponents 114-28 during the win streak, which dates to a loss on Aug. 23 versus Boston. Cleveland is 25-4 in the last 29 games. All the Orioles have to do is beat them, but no one else has been able to do for almost three weeks.

The Orioles are coming up short right now on the mound and at the plate - not a real good combination.

Over the last five games, O's starting pitchers have allowed 22 runs (20 earned) over 19 innings. In the last nine games, the Orioles have just two quality starts with a rotation ERA of 8.22.

On offense, the Orioles didn't score a run or produce an extra-base hit last night. They have scored one run on 11 hits the last two games. They have scored just 20 runs the last seven games. They are 3-for-45 with runners in scoring position in those games.

Each time this season when it looked bad for the Orioles, it somehow got better. They need this to happen again and very soon.

On the farm: After their dramatic comeback win over Lynchburg on Thursday night, the Single-A Frederick Keys lost 4-0 at Lynchburg last night. The Keys were held to three hits in 29 at-bats in the game that evened the best-of-three series at a win each.

Tonight, Lynchburg hosts Frederick in the game to decide the series and a co-league champion. The Carolina League announced yesterday that the championship series will be cancelled by Hurricane Irma. So the two winners of the Division Series will be co-league champs for 2017. Left-hander Reid Love (6-4, 3.71 ERA) gets the start for Frederick tonight in what will be the Keys' final game of the season.

Meanwhile, Double-A Bowie is now one loss from elimination. The Baysox lost 8-4 at home last night to Altoona. Bowie trails 2-0 in the best-of-five Eastern League playoff series and needs to win three straight on the road to advance.

Starter Tanner Scott and relievers Alec Asher and Jesus Liranzo combined to pitch 6 1/3 innings last night, allowing 11 hits and eight runs. Right-hander Lucas Long (9-6, 2.95 ERA) pitches for Bowie in tonight's must-win game.