Orioles stumble in loss to Mariners

BALTIMORE -- Darren O'Day's heated on-field argument -- which led to his first career ejection -- drew the spotlight in Monday night's game. On Tuesday, the Orioles righty took center stage again. But this time he didn't need any words, grabbing his left leg and hobbling off the mound in an unsuccessful attempt to field Jean Segura's eighth-inning bunt moments before he exited the game.
O'Day, the Orioles' most effective reliever in the club's post-Richard Bleier era, watched both runners he allowed in an injury-slowed eighth come around to score. The inning, which saw rookie Tanner Scott give up a two-run single to Kyle Seager, served as a microcosm of the Orioles' season. Just a day after getting its lineup back to full strength, Baltimore lost a key cog in its bullpen in the 3-2 loss to the Mariners at Camden Yards.
"He's going to get an MRI in the morning, but I'm pretty confident he's headed to the disabled list," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of O'Day, who aggravated a hamstring injury that sidelined him for four days earlier this month.

"It's frustrating for him and us, because we all know what he's capable of and what he means to us."
A dejected O'Day, who was on the disabled list earlier this season for a freak accident that caused an injury to his right elbow, said he knew immediately on Tuesday that the injury was bad.
"I was just going to get the bunt," O'Day said, noting that, in the heat of the moment, he wasn't sure on which step he felt his hamstring give. "I didn't expect [Segura] to be bunting. I expected [Dee] Gordon to be bunting, but he didn't. Kind of caught me off-guard, and [I] just couldn't field it."
O'Day's injury aside, there were the usual culprits in the O's latest defeat, along with a surprising smattering of boos for shortstop Manny Machado. The offense, which entered the day with the second-fewest runs scored in MLB, squeaked across just one run in a bases-loaded sixth.

After three consecutive singles from Caleb Joseph, Trey Mancini and Adam Jones off of Mariners starter James Paxton, Machado strolled to the plate. But Machado, the team leader in homers and RBIs, couldn't come through, grounding into a double play and slowly jogging down to first to give Mariners shortstop Segura plenty of time to plant and throw. He took so much time to reach the bag that some fans among the announced crowd of 16,327 were heard to boo Machado's perceived lack of effort out of the box.
"I haven't looked at it closely, whether he slipped out of the box or what. I'm not going to make an excuse for him until I look at it," Showalter said of the play. "I know he's probably frustrated there. ... [Segura] just took his time, and Manny allowed him to take more time than he normally would. It'll be addressed."
The O's scored a run on the double play to take a 2-1 edge, but Paxton followed that up with a strikeout of Danny Valencia -- who homered in the second -- to end any hope of a big inning. Baltimore has been held to three or fewer runs in 27 of its past 37 games.
Paxton struck out 10 Orioles over his seven innings, including three punchouts of slugger Chris Davis, who has six strikeouts in two nights in his return to Camden Yards after a prolonged benching.
Orioles starter Kevin Gausman went six strong innings, holding the Mariners to only Seager's fourth-inning homer.

"I was kind of sporadic around the zone, but I made some good pitches when I needed to," said Gausman, who struck out four and held Seattle to five hits.
"Got into some situations, but really just one split that kind of stayed up in the zone, in a count I think [Seager] was looking for it."
But once again, the O's couldn't come through for their starter. The righty has allowed three or fewer runs in four straight starts. He now has an eight-game winless streak, with his most recent victory coming on May 11.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
O's run out of the second: The Mariners won their challenge in the second inning, costing the Orioles a run in an overturned ruling that ended the frame. In that inning, Tim Beckham doubled in his second game off the disabled list, with Jonathan Schoop racing home to try to score on the two-out hit.

Though Schoop was initially ruled safe, despite right fielder Mitch Haniger's throw easily beating him to the plate, the replay review found that Mariners catcher Mike Zunino was able to graze Schoop before he reached home.
SOUND SMART
Valencia recorded his 13th career multi-hit game. He has hit safely in 21 of his past 29 games, and he has a .342 average in 22 home games this season.

GENTRY HEADED TO DISABLED LIST
Outfielder Craig Gentry was not available Tuesday night, and he will head to the disabled list with a non-displaced rib, Showalter told reporters after the loss. Gentry was hit by a pitch in the 15th inning against the Braves on Friday, but he appeared in Saturday's game, striking out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
Showalter said Gentry's injury shouldn't keep him out long-term, "but, obviously, 10 days or more."
HE SAID IT
"It's a hard game, it really is. It's a tough schedule, it's tough on your body, so injuries are going to happen. It's tough that we want to do our jobs and the more of us that are hurt, the harder it makes that. So some of these young guys are going to step up and take advantage of the opportunities and pitch well." -- O'Day, who is headed to the disabled list for the fifth time since signing an extension before the 2016 season

UP NEXT
Alex Cobb, fresh off his sharpest outing of the season, will get the ball for the Orioles on Wednesday. Cobb, who will be opposed by Mariners lefty Wade LeBlanc, took a no-decision last time out against the Braves, but he has gone at least seven innings in consecutive games for the first time this season. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.