BALTIMORE — Refreshed from a day off and perhaps enlivened by the arrival of second base prospect Jahmai Jones, the Orioles on Tuesday night looked no more likely to snap their humiliating losing streak.
Their only solace on a night when they tacked another grisly defeat — No. 19 — onto baseball’s longest losing streak in 16 years and fourth longest since 1900 is they’re one day closer to the season being over.
This 14-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels before an announced 8,781 at Camden Yards was a return to noncompetitive baseball after the weekend sweep here by the Atlanta Braves at least featured close games. The Orioles (38-85) have been outscored by 106 runs during this skid.
This one was not close for long.
A first-inning home run by Ryan Mountcastle off Angels starter and former Oriole Dylan Bundy gave the impression that this might be the Orioles’ night, one that was quickly pounded out of them as rookie starter Spenser Watkins allowed five runs in the second inning, then three more in the third.
Konner Wade, another minor league free agent here to soak up innings, oversaw a five-run fourth inning to build the Orioles’ deficit to 13-2.
From there, they fought back. Anthony Santander had a run-scoring double, followed by a two-run single from Ramón Urías. Mountcastle’s second home run of the game and Santander’s fourth home run to Eutaw Street of the season brought them to within 13-8.
It brought some life to the game, but wasn’t nearly enough. Reliever Marcos Diplán had his scoreless streak snapped at eight appearances by allowing an RBI single in the eighth inning, accounting for the final margin.
The loss gave the Orioles the longest losing streak in the majors since the 2005 Kansas City Royals lost 19 straight. The American League record is the 1988 Orioles’ 21-game losing streak to start the season, with the longest since 1900 a 23-game losing streak by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies.
Tuesday’s loss eliminated the Orioles from having a mathematical chance to win the American League East, as they’re 39 games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays with 38 games to play.
