ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Fielding a starting lineup more suitable for a Grapefruit League trip than a late-season major-league game at Tropicana Field, the Orioles' meeting with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night was also more reminiscent of early March than the second week of September.
One day after reaching the 100-loss mark, the Orioles dropped a 10-5 decision that ensured they will lose all three series on their nine-game road trip to face the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and Rays. Entering Sunday's series finale, the Orioles have lost seven of eight on the trip.
In their first two games of this weekend's series at Tampa Bay, the Orioles have been outscored, 24-7. Orioles hitters have struck out 25 times this series.
With 20 games left in the season, the Orioles (41-101) are just seven losses away from setting a new club record for defeats in a season.
This Orioles team seems willing to take its lumps in the season's final three weeks, auditioning its younger players for next season. Veteran right fielder Adam Jones sat for the second straight night and the third time in six games.
Right-hander David Hess, who made his scheduled start Saturday despite getting hit in the left eye by a football before Friday's game, never found a rhythm, allowing five of the seven batters he faced reach base in a four-run first inning.
On the night, Hess (3-10) allowed six runs over five innings, but only two were earned.
Hess struggled from the beginning. His first batter, Mallex Smith, reached on third baseman Renato Nunez's throwing error and then scored two batters later on a wild pitch when the ball flung out of Hess' hand while the starter's arm moved forward.
With one out, Tommy Pham tripled on a ball that bounced around right fielder Joey Rickard. Pham came home on Ji-Man Choi's sacrifice fly. Another run scored on three straight singles by Kevin Kiermaier, Willy Adames and Jake Bauers.
The Rays scored a fourth run off Hess when Bauers attempted to steal second, retreated to first and induced a rundown that allowed Adames to score from third.
Orioles second baseman Jonathan Villar reached base four times, drove in three runs and was 2-for-3 on stolen-base attempts. Rickard continued his hot hitting against his old organization with three hits.
Nunez and Tim Beckham also each had two hits for the Orioles.
Nunez hit his fifth homer of the season and his second in four games.
