The Orioles will head into the final day of a forgettable May having spent just two days this month over .500. Still, they entered Saturday's game against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays just one game out of first place in a run-of-the-mill American League East.
The Orioles seemed to catch the Rays at the right time. Their walk-off win over Tampa Bay in Friday night's series opener sent the Rays to their sixth straight defeat, and during that losing streak, Tampa Bay hit just .109 with runners in scoring position.
But these Orioles haven't been scoring runs by the dozens themselves, and with center fielder Adam Jones out of the lineup for the first time this season with a mild left-ankle sprain, they were shut out, 3-0, by Tampa Bay in front of an announced 38,177 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles tied a season low with three hits and suffered their fourth shutout loss this season, three of which have come against the Rays.
"We didn't do much," manager Buck Showalter said. "I think I counted eight balls we hit hard. Not a whole lot. ... [We] just couldn't mount much."
The Orioles (23-25) can't seem to get back to an even record. Since falling below .500 on May 6, they have had three opportunities this month to get back to level, but lost each time.
The Orioles' recent woes can be attributed to a struggling offense. They have scored two runs or fewer in three of their past four games. Friday's win was their only one in 18 this season in which they scored two runs or fewer.
On Saturday, the Orioles bats were silenced by right-hander Erasmo Ramirez, who entered the day with a 6.62 ERA in 12 games (five starts) this season. He pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed just three singles for the Rays (25-25).
Ramirez (3-2), who opened the season in the bullpen, moved into the Rays rotation because of injuries and won for the third time in four starts.
"He was changing eye levels, he was keeping the ball down, up, elevating a little bit, using that changeup and slider right off the plate," said catcher Steve Clevenger, the only Oriole with more than one hit. "He made us put the ball in play, and we just didn't swing it well today."
Take away Clevenger's two-hit game and the rest of the Orioles went 1-for-26 Saturday.
Like others before him this season, Ramirez kept an Orioles lineup that feasts on fastballs off balance with a steady diet of off-speed pitches early in the count.
"They did it last year and we handled it well," Showalter said. "And we have at times this year and will again. But he had a lot of things working in his favor today that he made good use of. He pitched well. That's why they're pitching about as well as anybody in the league. That's one of their fortes. You saw a good example of it today."
Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen allowed three runs over seven innings for his sixth quality start in 10 outings this season. He allowed a pair of solo homers, to Rays rookies Steven Souza Jr. and Joey Butler.
Chen (1-4) has pitched at least seven innings in four of his past five outings but is 1-3 in that span, having received an average of just 1.6 runs while in the game.
Chen allowed runs in each of his first three innings. Three batters into the game, Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly to center scored Brandon Guyer, who opened the game with a double, for a 1-0 lead.
Souza opened the second by hitting a 2-0 pitch along the outside corner of the plate the other way, over the scoreboard in right field. It was Souza's ninth homer of the year and his second in as many nights against the Orioles.
With two outs in the third inning, Butler took a first-pitch hanging curveball the other way onto the right-field flag court for his third homer of the season.
"To win a game, it's not only about the starting pitcher," Chen said through interpreter Louis Chao. "It's about the team. I was just trying to do my job, to prevent the opponent from scoring runs, but unfortunately today, I allowed a couple of runs very quick, so I think that kind of put some pressure on my teammates. I only want to try and prevent the opponent from scoring runs, but sadly, I can't do that well today."
The Orioles had few scoring opportunities and couldn't capitalize on their biggest. With Clevenger on second base, No. 9 hitter Ryan Flaherty hit a two-out single to left, but Butler made a pinpoint throw to retire Clevenger at the plate. The out ended the inning with the top of the order coming up.
"It was a hard-hit ball to left field," Clevenger said. "I got a good jump. … Unfortunately, it was right at him. It was really close at the plate."
Showalter defended third-base coach Bobby Dickerson, who sent Clevenger, saying he's one of the "best in the business."
"[Butler] had to make a really good throw," Showalter said. "You don't know what's going to happen afterward. But that's potential to maybe kind of get it flowing a little bit offensively."