ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The momentum the Orioles carried into Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays quickly deflated with one big inning.
Left-hander Wade Miley allowed five runs in the second inning, including a three-run homer to shortstop Tim Beckham, sending the Orioles into another deep early-inning hole in an eventual 5-4 loss.
The Orioles (48-52) entered the night winners of six of eight and had climbed within 3 { games of the second AL wild-card spot as Monday's non-waiver trade deadline approaches.
They played one of their best all-around games of the season in the series opener, sending the reeling Rays to their fifth straight loss. And Miley came into the night with a career 2.60 ERA against Tampa Bay in 10 starts.
The Orioles left-hander entered the night fighting a season-long battle with his control. He entered the game worst in the American League in walks with 59, but on Tuesday his offerings found too much of the plate.
Miley needed just nine pitches to get through the first inning, but the Rays loaded the bases against him with one out in the second on three singles.
Mallex Smith's RBI single started the scoring, and No. 9 hitter Jesus Sucre's sacrifice fly to center scored another run, but the big blow came from Beckham, who hit a 1-0 changeup over the center-field fence.
Miley started Beckham _ who entered the at bat just 1-for-7 against him _ with a changeup low, then threw another over the heart of the plate that Beckham rocketed an estimated 436 feet at an exit velocity of 105.4 mph.
Miley didn't allow a hit after the second inning _ three base runners reached on walks _ going six innings on the night, but the damage had already been done.
The Orioles rallied to make it a one-run game and ended with the tying run on third base in the ninth after back-to-back two-out singles by Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop put runners at the corners, but Mark Trumbo hit into a game-ending force-out to end the game.
They opened the ninth getting the leadoff man on when Joey Rickard reached on a throwing error by Beckham, but Adam Jones immediately hit into a 5-4-3 double play.
Rays rookie Jake Faria recorded his third quality start against the Orioles this season, holding them to two runs on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings.
Faria recorded all five of his strikeouts in the first four innings, locating well with his fastball, on which he received 12 called strikes.
The Orioles put their first two hitters on in the second, but the inning stalled after Welington Castillo hit into a double play. They also loaded the bases in the fifth against Faria with one out, but scored just one run on Machado's sacrifice fly.
In three starts against the Orioles, Faria has a 3.60 ERA, allowing eight runs over 20 innings.
Rookie Trey Mancini, who was played first base on Tuesday with starter Chris Davis sidelined for the second straight game with a virus, provided the Orioles' only power on the night with his 16th homer this season.
Mancini hit a solo blast to left field in the sixth, lining a 3-1 fastball into the left-field seats, a ball that was hit with an exit velocity of 106.5 mph. Mancini also singled and walked
Catcher Castillo hit a two-run, two-out single into left field off former Orioles Tommy Hunter in the eighth to cut the Rays' lead to 5-4.
One of those runs was charged to Faria.
But the Orioles were unable to capitalize further as pinch hitter Hyun Soo Kim struck out.
