Orioles drop 13th straight game, completing winless road trip with 3-1 loss to White Sox

On Sunday, the Orioles had their opportunities. As their losing streak continues to grow, they have been practically incapable of capitalizing on them.

Their opponents, meanwhile, have been unrelenting in doing so. One inning after the Orioles failed to score with the bases loaded and the middle of their lineup facing Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito, Tim Anderson singled and stole second, then promptly found himself picked off second base. But right-hander Dillon Tate’s errant throw instead allowed him to go to third, and he scored score easily when Nick Madrigal followed with a triple. Madrigal scored one batter later on Yoan Moncada’s single up the middle, providing the decisive margin in Baltimore’s 3-1 defeat — the Orioles’ 13th straight loss, and 20th in their past 22 games.

The Orioles lost all 10 games on this road trip, getting swept in Washington, Minneapolis and Chicago after the Tampa Bay Rays swept them at Camden Yards to start what is tied for the third-longest losing streak since the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954. Only that inaugural team, with 14 straight in August, and the 1998 club, which infamously lost its first 21 games, have gone longer without a win.

When the Orioles last returned home, they did so fresh off John Means’ no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners, holding a 15-16 record. They have gone 2-20 since, falling to a major-league worst 17-36, and are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks — who took on the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon — for the longest losing streak in the majors this season.

Missing the big hit

In this upcoming homestand, the Orioles will not only try to snap the losing streak, but also a drought of coming through with runners in scoring position. Giolito and his changeup tore through the first seven Orioles on Sunday and got ahead of DJ Stewart 0-2 before Stewart sent an elevated fastball out to right-center field to give Baltimore a 1-0 lead. The Orioles threatened to extend it when Cedric Mullins tripled with two outs, but Freddy Galvis grounded out to leave him there.

That pushed the Orioles to 23 straight hitless at-bats with a runner in scoring position. That drought reached 25 when Mullins became their first base runner since his triple with a bunt single ahead of walks to Galvis and Trey Mancini, who was back in the lineup for the first time since he exited with a bruised right elbow in Thursday night’s series opener. But Giolito struck out Santander for a third time before getting Franco to pop out. The Orioles did not threaten again.

Since recording three hits with a runner in scoring position in the first inning Sunday against the Nationals, the Orioles have gone 4-for-64 in such situations.

Akin it happen

Making his first start of the year after replacing fellow rookie Dean Kremer in the Orioles’ rotation, left-hander Keegan Akin provided as much as Baltimore could’ve asked for.

Akin, the Orioles’ No. 10 prospect according to Baseball America, retired the first five White Sox, then issued consecutive walks before a strikeout ended the second. Billy Hamilton led off the third inning with his second home run in three plate appearances against Orioles pitching, surpassing his total from his previous 487 major league at-bats.

But that was the only run against Akin in his 4 ⅔ innings. He exited with runners on the corners, but Galvis’ backhand snag and throw from his knees at shortstop kept the game tied after Adam Plutko allowed a walk to load the bases.

Cole Sulser and Paul Fry pitched scoreless innings around Tate’s troublesome seventh.

This story will be updated.

Orioles losing streaks of 10 games or more

Since moving to Baltimore in 1954, here are the Orioles’ losing streaks of 10 games or more, led by the worst start in major league history in 1988.

21 — April 4-28, 1988

14 — Aug. 11-25, 1954

13 — Sept. 17-30, 2009

13 — May 18-Present

12 — Aug. 16-28, 2004

12 — Sept. 18-29, 2002

12 — June 18-July 3, 1955

11 — July 27-Aug, 8, 1958

10 — June 12-21, 2019

10 — May 26-June 5, 2010

10 — Sept. 17-26, 2008

10 — Sept. 1-19, 2001

10 — June 23-July 3, 1999

10 — Aug 23-Sept 2, 1998

10 — June 3-13, 1987

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