ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ One start doesn't equal a fair evaluation for a pitcher making his first major league start, especially given the scenario in which right-hander Miguel Castro made his starting debut, but the 22-year-old's performance definitely wasn't as clean as the polished relief pitching that earned him rotation consideration.
Castro, whose emergence as a multiple-inning reliever surfaced a hidden gem, lasted just three batters into the fourth inning in the Orioles' 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, sending them to their 18th defeat in 22 games.
The Orioles (75-86) used their second-last game of the season to catch a glimpse of Castro (3-3) in a starting role. He allowed seven base runners and twice stranded two runners on before allowing a three-run homer to Brad Miller in the fourth that essentially ended his night.
With the defeat, the Orioles will end the season having lost their last five road series, and 12 of their last 14 games away from Camden Yards overall. They are just 2-8-1 in road series since the All-Star break.
Castro needed just 11 pitches to get through the first inning, but then dodged damage in the second and third innings. He put two runners in scoring position with one out in the second inning on Corey Dickerson's single and Adeiny Hechavarria's double, but Orioles first baseman Chris Davis cut down Dickerson at home on a grounder by Miller to erase the lead runner. Castro struck out Daniel Robertson to escape the inning.
In the third, a leadoff single by Mallex Smith, a fielder's choice by Kevin Kiermaier and a one-out walk to Lucas Duda put two on. Kiermaier stole third to put runners at the corners, but Castro struck out Wilson Ramos and induced an inning-ending flyout off the bat of Logan Morrison.
Castro then allowed back-to-back singles to Dickerson and Hechavarria to open the fourth, and both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch before Miller put a 2-2 slider deep into the right-field stands.
Miller entered the night hitting just .198 on the season and had just one homer over his previous 22 games.
Castro, who posted a 2.38 ERA in his first 32 relief appearances this season spanning 53 innings, ended the season allowing 12 earned runs in 131/3 innings over his final seven games.
Barring duplicating his first-inning efficiency, Castro wasn't likely to go too deep in the game anyway. He made just one appearance over 32/3 innings this season, a six-inning scoreless outing on Aug. 3 against the Detroit Tigers, when he threw a season-high 69 pitches. Castro's 59 pitches Saturday were his second-most this season at the big league level.
The Rays scored an insurance run in the seventh off left-hander Donnie Hart when Kiermaier singled, stole second, advanced to third on a balk and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ramos.
The Orioles rallied late, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth after being held scoreless through the first seven innings.
Trailing 4-2 in the ninth, the Orioles put runners at the corners with no outs against Rays closer Alex Colome after J.J. Hardy's second double of the night led off the inning, followed by Chance Sisco's single.
Pinch hitter Seth Smith struck out, Anthony Santander's sac fly to center scored Hardy to make it 4-3 and Jonathan Schoop's sinking line drive to center was caught by Kiermaier to end the game.
Pedro Alvarez's two-run single in the eighth, which came off former Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter, scored the visitors' first runs in 23 innings. The Orioles hadn't scored a run since putting up three in the second inning of Wednesday's 5-3 loss at the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Rays right-hander Chris Archer tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out six, including striking out the side in the second inning. The Orioles' only extra-base hit off him came in the second inning on Hardy's double.
The Orioles brought the tying run to the on-deck circle with one out in the eighth after Alvarez's hit, but Chris Davis ended the inning by bouncing into a 4-5-3 double play.
