masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles have lost six of their last seven games on Mother’s Day, and they’ve drained much of the energy from today’s crowd.

The Rays lead 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth, and Kevin Gregg has replaced starter Jake Arrieta, who allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Arrieta walked two, struck out six and threw a wild pitch. He threw 79 pitches, 50 for strikes.

The 10 hits are a career high for Arrieta, who seems far removed from those eight scoreless innings in New York on May…The Orioles have lost six of their last seven games on Mother’s Day, and they’ve drained much of the energy from today’s crowd.

The Rays lead 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth, and Kevin Gregg has replaced starter Jake Arrieta, who allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Arrieta walked two, struck out six and threw a wild pitch. He threw 79 pitches, 50 for strikes.

The 10 hits are a career high for Arrieta, who seems far removed from those eight scoreless innings in New York on May 2.

In his last two starts, Arrieta has surrendered 13 runs and 19 hits over 10 innings.

Tampa Bay scored three runs off Arrieta in the fourth and knocked him out of the game. They started out by landing a few jabs – infield hits by Elliot Johnson and Ben Zobrist. Matt Joyce had an RBI single and Carlos Pena drove in two runs with his second double of the afternoon.

When’s the last time Gregg has entered a game in the fourth inning?

Guess he’s the long man today.

Gregg hasn’t allowed a run in his last four outings. He hasn’t pitched since last Sunday’s 17-inning affair in Boston.

Update: Back-to-back doubles by J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis, and Matt Wieters’ two-run homer with the count full in the sixth have reduced Tampa Bay’s lead to 7-4.

Wieters has eight homers and 20 RBIs this season. I hear he’s also pretty good behind the plate.

Gregg allowed one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. That’s five straight appearances for Gregg without allowing a run. And Troy Patton struck out the side in the sixth.

If the Orioles overtake the Rays, the bullpen again will deserve a large chunk of the credit.