masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles center fielder Adam Jones described Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson as “a little different.” It was the result that looked familiar.

Another pitcher flattened the Orioles’ bats.

Hellickson went the distance tonight, shutting out the Orioles on four hits, walking one and striking out three.

Adam Jones talks about the difficulties the O’s had hitting Jeremy Hellickson

“He threw everything – first-pitch strikes, curveball, changeup,” Jones said. “He just…ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles center fielder Adam Jones described Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson as “a little different.” It was the result that looked familiar.

Another pitcher flattened the Orioles’ bats.

Hellickson went the distance tonight, shutting out the Orioles on four hits, walking one and striking out three.

Adam Jones talks about the difficulties the O’s had hitting Jeremy Hellickson

“He threw everything – first-pitch strikes, curveball, changeup,” Jones said. “He just pitched backward and had us off-balance completely all night.

“It’s not easy, but I think we’re all on the same page. We want to go and get better and get the starter out as early as possible. Sometimes, you’ve just got to tip your cap to the pitcher. He threw his game. It wasn’t like we went out there and struck out 15 times. We put the ball in play. We just didn’t drive the ball enough tonight.”

Guthrie deserved a better fate, but he usually does.

“It’s the game of baseball. You can only control what you can control,” Jones said. “If this was the NL, he’d be able to hit, but you can’t. I’ve said to him many times, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing. We’re going to get you some sooner or later.’ It’s frustrating as an offense when he goes out there and battles his (butt) off, night in and night out. He gave up three, but we’ve got to, as an offense, scrap a little harder and put some runs across that board.

“It’s frustrating. You’d be lying if you said it wasn’t frustrating. But it’s something he knows he can’t control. He can only control what he does on the mound and he’s been doing a helluva job, so it’s up to him to keep that up and it’s up to us as an offense to string some more hits together and get it going.”