masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgA bad series ended badly.

James Loney led off the last of the ninth with a homer to right off Tommy Hunter as Tampa Bay beat the Orioles 5-4 to complete a four-game sweep.

The loss in the series finale this afternoon was overshadowed by what happened in the top of the seventh inning.

The Orioles and their fans had to watch as their talented 21-year-old third baseman, Manny Machado, was taken from the field on a stretcher.

Machado hit a grounder to second that was bobbled. As he reached the…A bad series ended badly.

James Loney led off the last of the ninth with a homer to right off Tommy Hunter as Tampa Bay beat the Orioles 5-4 to complete a four-game sweep.

The loss in the series finale this afternoon was overshadowed by what happened in the top of the seventh inning.

The Orioles and their fans had to watch as their talented 21-year-old third baseman, Manny Machado, was taken from the field on a stretcher.

Machado hit a grounder to second that was bobbled. As he reached the first base bag, his left leg hit awkwardly and Machado’s knee buckled inward as he fell to the turf, threw his batting helmet down and screamed out in pain.

Trainers from both teams rushed to him and Machado was taken from the field on a stretcher.

As of the last out, no official word yet from the club on the injury. Machado has played in every game – 207 straight – since his call-up to the majors last Aug. 9 from Double-A Bowie. Alexi Casilla came in to pinch-run and play at second base and Ryan Flaherty moved from second to third base.

Earlier Chris Davis hit his 52nd homer, a two-run shot, and J.J. Hardy had an RBI single as the Orioles moved ahead 3-1 in the fourth. The three runs scored that inning exceeded the O’s total of two over the previous 32 innings.

A Brian Roberts solo homer in the fifth made it a 4-2 game, but Tampa scored twice in the seventh to tie the game 4-4 on a Wil Myers bloop two-run single to right. Casilla was injured on that play, as he made a diving catch that would have ended the inning, but the ball popped out of his glove as he collided with Nick Markakis in short right field.

In the end, the Orioles’ losing streak reached five and they went 4-6 on the 10-game road trip. The Orioles fall to 81-75 on the year and now return home for a six-game homestand to wrap up the 2013 season.