masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgNick Markakis said he wasn’t sure exactly where that ball that was eventually ruled a home run hit exactly. It was ruled a homer for Matt Joyce off Chris Tillman in the top of the sixth as Tampa Bay beat the Orioles to complete the sweep.

“I wasn’t even looking where the ball landed. I was looking to the spot I needed to get to where I thought it would bounce to. I just knew down in that area it’s a concrete wall and I was just trying to create an angle to the ball. Once the ball didn’t…Nick Markakis said he wasn’t sure exactly where that ball that was eventually ruled a home run hit exactly. It was ruled a homer for Matt Joyce off Chris Tillman in the top of the sixth as Tampa Bay beat the Orioles to complete the sweep.

“I wasn’t even looking where the ball landed. I was looking to the spot I needed to get to where I thought it would bounce to. I just knew down in that area it’s a concrete wall and I was just trying to create an angle to the ball. Once the ball didn’t kick right back to me I knew something was wrong. But they got the call right,” he said.

The Orioles were shut down today by Matt Moore, who won his eighth game and allowed just five hits and one run over seven innings.

“Last couple years, he was more of a power pitcher,” Markakis said of Moore. “Here it is, see if you can hit it. He’s more of a pitcher now. He mixes up his offspeed pitches pretty darn well. He was tough.”

With a five-game losing streak and winless homestand to this point, Markakis was asked if the Orioles are pressing right now?

“No, every team will go through their losses, whether it’s six or seven in a row. We’re in a tough stretch now and we have to put it past us. Fight through it and move on. Lot of baseball left.”

Adam Jones was asked about having the losing streak at Camden Yards.

“Home or road, five-game losing streak is a five-game losing streak,” Jones said. “We got beat this series. You can point fingers however you want to, we got beat. The Rays are a pretty good team, too. We just have to come out now and get after the Yankees.”

Jones said a lot of credit today should go to Moore for his pitching effort against the Orioles. But what about how the O’s will have to play to end their losing streak?

“Score more runs in nine innings. That is what we’ve got to do. We know the formula. We’ve gotten beat the last five games. It’s not like we’re beating ourselves. Show up tomorrow ready to bust the Yankees,” Jones said.

Chris Tillman gave up five hits and three runs to take the loss and falls to 3-2 with an ERA of 3.52.

“It was a battle. I was able to get ahead most of the time. My curveball put me in some tough spots. I made some mistakes and they capitalized on it. They put some swings on pitches I left up in the zone,” Tillman said.

Tillman was asked about the losing streak.

“We need to keep grinding, it’s a long season. Not like we haven’t been here before. Keep getting after it, it’s another day tomorrow. That is the only way to look at it. We’d like to play well in front of our home crowd. I think it is only normal to (press some) in this situation,” he said.

The Orioles fell to 9-9 against the American League East and 9-11 at home. The Orioles have now lost six straight at Oriole Park.

J.J. Hardy went 0-for-4 to end his 13-game hitting streak, the longest by an Oriole this year.

The O’s were swept in a three-game set for the first time since last June 18-20 in New York by the Mets and first time at home since last April 9-11 by the Yankees.

Now they face those same Yankees Monday night and New York will have CC Sabathia on the mound.

“He’s one of the game’s best pitchers and we’ve got a good lineup. Let’s go out there and attack him,” Jones said.