masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgWASHINGTON – The Orioles can’t seem to get that one big hit that opens the flood gates.

They loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning on Derrek Lee’s leadoff single – his eighth hit of the series – third baseman Ryan Zimmerman’s throwing error and Mark Reynolds’ infield hit.

Craig Tatum, batting seventh, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Lee scored, but he was the only one. Robert Andino grounded out to end the inning.

Opportunity wasted.

In case you’re wondering, Tatum is…WASHINGTON – The Orioles can’t seem to get that one big hit that opens the flood gates.

They loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning on Derrek Lee’s leadoff single – his eighth hit of the series – third baseman Ryan Zimmerman’s throwing error and Mark Reynolds’ infield hit.

Craig Tatum, batting seventh, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Lee scored, but he was the only one. Robert Andino grounded out to end the inning.

Opportunity wasted.

In case you’re wondering, Tatum is batting seventh for the 20th time in his career. He’s hit sixth five times, eighth 40 times and ninth 11 times.

Update: J.J. Hardy hit his eighth home run to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

Power from the shortstop position. Haven’t seen it in a few years.

Update II: The Orioles put runners in the corners with one out, but Derrek Lee grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Another opportunity wasted.

Chris Jakubauskas has five strikeouts in three innings.

Jakubauskas and Tom Gorzelanny combine for 21 letters in their last names. According to STATS LLC, Jakubauskas and Toronto’s Carlos Villanueva combined for 21 letters on June 14. Before that, Arizona’s Josh Collmenter and Los Angeles’ Chad Billingsley combined for 21 letters on May 14.

Yes, someone actually looked it up.

Update III: We also have Justin Duchscherer, when he pitched for Oakland, going against Seattle’s Ryan Rowland-Smith on April 12, 2010. We’re counting Rowland-Smith as his entire last name, but the hyphen is a character and therefore excluded in this survey.

It’s pouring rain here, and it’s raining runs for the Orioles. Tatum drove in Mark Reynolds, who doubled with one out in the fourth. Andino grounded into a double play, the third for the Orioles in four innings.

I guess that’s really a sprinkling of runs.