Lowe hits 29th homer, Rays extend Orioles' skid to 15 games

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, (AP) — 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.

“It's not easy right now,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We're not in many games, and that's hard.”

Tampa Bay has won 11 of 14, and is 15-1 in the season series with the Orioles.

“The vibe in the clubhouse is good,” Lowe said. “Everybody is happy, we’re feeling good.”

The Rays now open a three-game home series Friday night against the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.

“This is going to be kind of what we're looking at postseason-wise, I feel like,” Lowe said. “You know the White Sox are going to make it, we feel like we're going to make it. I think the games are going to be a little bit tougher, it's going to be a little bit lower-scoring ballgames but it's going to be a hard-fought battle for the whole series.”

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, which Hyde said came about because his velocity drastically dropped.

“He said he felt fine,” Hyde said. “He's just working through some things right now.”

Hyde added “it's too early” to say if López needs some extra time off.

“I worked my whole life to get here and that's the last thing I will do...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Lowe-hits-29th-homer-Rays-extend-Orioles-skid-16398880.php