ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — At least one time each trip to Tampa Bay, Orioles manager Buck Showalter mentions how Tropicana Field – with its vast foul ground, deep power alleys and controlled conditions that are favorable to pitchers – has morphed into more of a pitcher's ballpark over the years. And the Orioles won a pair of low-scoring games to start their three-game series against Tampa Bay this weekend.
But the Orioles couldn't complete a three-game sweep against the reeling Rays, dropping a 5-2 decision Sunday afternoon as Tampa Bay snapped its eight-game losing streak in front of an announced crowd of 16,161.
Former first-round pick Dylan Bundy allowed four runs – including three homers – over 3 1/3 innings in an abbreviated major league debut as a starter, and the Orioles' offense couldn't capitalize on several opportunities to break through against Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi.
"It was more about us not scoring any runs today," Showalter said. "We had a couple opportunities and could have cashed in on and didn't. Odorrizi was good."
The Orioles (53-37) were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
The Orioles opened the game by immediately putting two runners in scoring position after Adam Jones' leadoff single was followed by Jonathan Schoop's double, but they scored just one run that inning on Manny Machado's sacrifice fly. Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo struck out to prevent a big inning.
Schoop was stranded in the third after his second double of the day – this time with one out in the inning. Machado grounded out and Davis struck out to end the inning.
Davis then stranded the bases loaded with a shallow flyout to end the fifth – an inning that opened with back-to-back singles from No. 8 hitter Joey Rickard and No. 9 hitter Caleb Joseph.
"We had him on the ropes a few times and just couldn't cash in," Joseph said of Tampa's starter, Odorizzi. "He made a few quality pitches. This is a hard ballpark to hit in because they've got that gap out there in left-center field. We've hit quite a few balls out there that probably would have gone out at home. It's not an excuse for anything but you want to take advantage of those situations early in the game when you feel like you're still within reach and this offense is never out of it. We were in it all day, just couldn't get that clutch hit."
Odorizzi allowed just two runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out seven and walking one.
Hart makes major league debut: When Orioles left-hander Donnie Hart was introduced – and the Tropicana Field crowd was told he was making his major league debut – before the bottom of the sixth inning, the 25-year-old reliever could clearly hear the voice of his mother, Kathy, cheering from the seating bowl.
"That's the one person I can hear no matter how many people are in the stands," Hart said. "I heard that and kind of smiled a little bit inside and said, 'It's time to go to work. It was fun.'"
Showalter had been looking for a good opportunity for the situational lefthander to get his first major league appearance since joining the team Friday from Double-A Bowie. A perfect opportunity emerged in the sixth inning against a part of Tampa Bay's lineup that had three straight left-handed hitters.
The sidearm-throwing Hart needed just six pitches to retire two lefties, getting a fly-ball out from Corey Dickerson and striking out Kevin Kiermaier on four pitches, the last one a 75-mph slider that Kiermaier swung through. The Rays pinch-hit for the left-handed hitting Oswaldo Arcia, and Hart walked off the field to a loud ovation from the Orioles contingent sitting behind the third-base dugout.
"It's nice," Hart said. "I saw the lineup today and saw the three lefties in a row and kinda knew those were the guys I would get. It's nice it worked out in a fresh inning."
It was important to give Hart a look before the Orioles left Tampa Bay for New York, where he might be needed again against a Yankees lineup with its share of lefthanders.
"That could be a good weapon for us," Showalter said. "We've been looking at him really for a year and a half. If we get Darren [O'Day] back and have him and Mychal [Givens] and everything, it would really make our bullpen work well."
Hart was given a game ball as a keepsake of his debut.
"It's going to go to Mama Hart," he said.
Alvarez homers in his second straight game: Designated hitter Pedro Alvarez's solo homer in the sixth inning off Odorizzi was moot, but another sign that Alvarez's bat is heating up.
Alvarez took a 1-2 elevated sinker the opposite way into the left-field seats for his second homer in as many starts. He homered in Friday's series opener in Tampa Bay, and missed a second home run that night by inches when one of this hits bounced off the top of the railing above the left-field fence.
Alvarez is hitting .315 with nine homers and 20 RBIs in his last 26 games.
eencina@baltsun.com
twitter.com/EddieInTheYard