ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, — Brandon Lowe hit his career-high 29th homer, Shane McClanahan won his fourth straight start, and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays handed the Baltimore Orioles their 15th consecutive loss, 7-2 on Thursday.
The Orioles also dropped 14 in a row from May 18-31. The team record losing streak is 21 games, set at the beginning of the 1988 season.
Baltimore has been outscored 138-42 during the current skid. Its starting pitchers are 0-12, allowing 63 earned runs in 61 2/3 innings.
Tampa Bay has won 11 of 14, and is 15-1 in the season series with the Orioles.
Jorge López (3-14) became the majors’ first 14-game loser, allowing four runs, four hits, two walks and hitting a batter over two innings. The right-hander was checked by a trainer with two outs in the first.
Lowe connected on a two-out, two-run drive that made it 4-0 in the second. Lowe has six homers and 17 RBIs over his last 12 games.
McClanahan (8-4) gave up one run and five hits in five innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
Austin Meadows picked up his 83rd RBI with a two-out bases-loaded walk and Ji-Man Choi had a two-run single to put the Rays ahead 7-0 in the fourth. Meadows also drew a free pass with the bases loaded during a two-run first.
Baltimore’s Richie Martin had a fifth-inning RBI single, and Ramón Urías hit a solo homer with two outs in the ninth.
QUIET IN HERE
The announced crowd at Tropicana Field was 5,826, bringing the total for the four-game series to 22,754.
FRUSTRATION
Orioles CF Cedric Mullins slammed his bat into the ground and broke it after popping out with a runner on second and two outs in the seventh.
NUMBERS
The Rays’ magic number to eliminate Baltimore in the AL East race is six. … The Orioles (38-82) clinched a fifth consecutive under-.500 season. … Tampa Bay has outscored the Orioles 128-57 in the season series. … Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle (11 games) and Jorge Mateo (10 games) extended their hitting streaks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Trey Mancini (sore left calf) was the DH after missing two games. … OF DJ Stewart (sore knee) sat out for the second consecutive day. … RHP Hunter Harvey (right lat strain) will be evaluated after his next rehab appearance in a couple days.
Rays: C Mike Zunino (toothache) was out of the lineup. … Manager Kevin Cash said RHP Ryan Thompson (right shoulder) felt “OK, not great” after throwing a scoreless inning Wednesday night for Triple-A Durham. … 1B-OF Jordan Luplow (left ankle strain) was placed on the 10-day IL.
UP NEXT
Orioles: LHP Keegan Akin (0-7, 8.13 ERA) and Braves LHP Max Fried (10-7, 3.78) are Friday night’s starters in Baltimore.
Rays: RHP Michael Wacha (2-4, 5.91) will face the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox and RHP Lucas Giolito (9-9, 3.83) in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.
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