O's entering dubious history as skid continues

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles are entering historic territory. But it's not the kind of record book any team wants to be in.
In a season already littered with ineffective offense, disheartening injuries and the team's highest-paid player -- first baseman Chris Davis -- benched indefinitely, not even a last-place Marlins team could cure the O's woes. Instead, Baltimore mustered up just three hits in Friday's 2-0 series-opening loss, running its losing streak to eight and putting it just one game off the pace of the 1988 club, the worst team in franchise history.
The O's have not won a game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in over a month (May 13) and are the only team in the Majors to not have eclipsed the 20-win mark. On Friday, the Orioles' lineup was completely flummoxed by Marlins righty José Ureña, who entered the day 1-8 with a 4.59 ERA before going a season-high eight innings. The last time Urena went eight or more scoreless innings was Sept. 11, 2016. That was 45 starts ago.

"I think everybody's tired of giving credit to the other pitcher. That's certainly the case at this level, but we have guys capable of doing a lot better than we have," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, adding that the team has made changes and will continue to do so.
"But as far as in the dugout and in the clubhouse, there's frustration, I'll tell you that. But there's two ways you take frustration, and we haven't been able to take that frustration and put it into some other funnel, so to speak."
Corban Joseph, summoned from Double-A Bowie to play first base in Davis' absence, had the Orioles' only hit for the first six innings. The O's stranded a runner at third in the seventh and were held to one run or fewer for the 21st time in 68 games.
"Every time you get to the plate, I think everyone in this locker room, you're trying to contribute and just do something positive whether it's moving a runner, laying a bunt down with a man on base, just trying to spark something," said Joseph, who notched his second career big league hit. "Whenever I step in, that's what I try and do."

But Joseph's energy wasn't enough as the Orioles were shut out for the eighth time this season, bested by the second-worst offense in the Majors.
Righty Kevin Gausman took the loss, running up a high pitch count early and allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. The Marlins scored on Brian Anderson's two-out single into left field in the fifth and added a run in the sixth on Lewis Brinson's second triple of the night.
"[Urena] obviously pitched a good game, and I felt like we had a pitchers' duel going there for a while," Gausman said. "He's got really good stuff over there. A guy who throws that hard and has sink and he's throwing 93-mph changeups, he was tough. But it's baseball. It's going to happen."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Baltimore put the first two men on in the seventh inning, after Adam Jones bunted down the third-base line and Manny Machado followed with a single. But Danny Valencia grounded into a double play and Trey Mancini struck out to keep the Marlins' two-run lead intact.
"That was a good opportunity for us. Danny's been swinging the bat pretty well comparatively speaking to everybody else," Showalter said. "We've got some people that we know are capable of a lot better, just aren't able to produce right now."

SOUND SMART
Friday's eighth straight loss marks the Orioles' longest skid since a nine-gamer that ended on July 15, 2011.
REHAB REPORT
Third baseman Tim Beckham went 0-for-2 with a walk and run scored in his first rehab game at Double-A Bowie on Friday. Outfielder Colby Rasmus finished 2-for-4 with a double, homer, two runs scored and three RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader for Class A Advanced Frederick.
HE SAID IT
"It was exciting. Adrenaline's still there. It was something I'll always remember, for sure. Different ballpark. I never played here in Baltimore, so something I'll cherish forever." -- Joseph, on playing in his first game as an Oriole and first Major League game since May 13, 2013, with the Yankees

UP NEXT
Baltimore will face former Oriole, lefty Wei-Yin Chen, at 4:05 p.m. ET on Saturday at Camden Yards. Chen will be opposed by Orioles righty Alex Cobb, who will be looking to bounce back after allowing nine runs in his last start.