BALTIMORE _ The Orioles saw old teammate Jeremy Hellickson on Tuesday night for the first time since he ended his brief tenure in Baltimore with a robust ERA of nearly 7.00. And the version of Hellickson they saw was the type of pitcher who has given them fits this year, one who provides a diet of off-speed offerings.
The Orioles had their opportunities against Hellickson, but couldn't make many of them stand, and the result was their fourth straight loss, 3-2 in front of an announced 13,935 at Camden Yards.
For the 11th time in the past 13 games they scored three runs or fewer.
The Orioles received a first-inning solo homer from Manny Machado, his 16th of the season, which served as a fitting counterpunch to Bryce Harper solo shot in the top of the inning. After that, the Orioles put the leadoff hitter on base in each of the next three innings against Hellickson but couldn't score.
They had something going against him with one out in the fifth when Chance Sisco was hit by a pitch and No. 9 hitter Jace Peterson singled. Two batters later, Adam Jones doubled into the left-center-field gap.
Sisco easily scored from second, but the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate when shortstop Trea Turner's relay throw beat Peterson, ending the inning with Machado in the on-deck circle.
Hellickson, who had a 6.97 ERA in 10 starts with the Orioles last year after being acquired in a waiver-deadline trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, was by no means overwhelming, allowing two runs on six hits over five innings, but he proved to be the kind of pitcher who gives the Orioles fits.
In his 81-pitch outing, he threw just 32 percent fastballs, leaning on a newly discovered curveball and the changeup that's been his staple for nearly 60 percent of his pitches. Hellickson threw his curve 26 times, more than any other pitch, and recorded three swinging strikes with it. He threw 22 changeups, and had four swinging strikes from that pitch.
That didn't lead to many strikeouts _ Hellickson had only three _ but it did induce two rally-killing double-play balls in the early innings. Pedro Alvarez rolled over on a curve for a 4-6-3 double play after Mark Trumbo reached on a leadoff single in the second, and Jonathan Schoop hit into a 6-4-3 double play on a changeup in the third inning.
Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy did his job, recording a quality start for the seventh time in 12 starts this season, but allowed a pair of solo homers _ Harper's first-inning blast and former Oriole Mark Reynolds' homer to open the fourth.
Four Nationals relievers _ each pitching one inning _ combined to hold the Orioles scoreless over the final four innings.
The Orioles had the winning run at first in the ninth against Sean Doolittle but couldn't convert. Pinch hitter Trey Mancini was hit by a pitch and Joey Rickard singled to put two on with one out, but pinch hitters Craig Gentry and Andrew Susac struck out to end the game.
