The combination of pitching, power and defense looked like it would steer the Orioles to a win today and keep them from being swept by the Rays and falling a season-worst eight games below .500.

It got them into the eighth inning but not to the finish line.

Rookie Anthony Nunez couldn’t protect a 3-1 lead, allowing a two-out, two-run double to Jonathan Aranda.

Ryan Vilade walked on four pitches, Rico Garcia replaced Nunez, and Richie Palacios lined a fastball into right field to break the tie.

The Rays executed a double steal, with Vilade crossing the plate to saddle Nunez with four runs and stick the Orioles with a disheartening 5-3 loss at Tropicana Field.

The outcome left the Orioles 6-13 since May 1 and 21-29 overall. They’re off Thursday.

The Rays have the best record in baseball at 33-15.

Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo homered off right-hander Jesse Scholtens in the sixth inning, which began with the score tied 1-1. Alonso had two RBIs today. But the game unraveled for the Orioles in the eighth.

Some observations from home:

Shane comeback

With the rotation in desperate need of a quality start, Shane Baz produced his second in his last two outings. And he did it against his former team.

Baz allowed one run and two hits in six innings, retiring the last 11 batters in a row. He walked three, struck out six and lowered his ERA to 4.87.

It didn’t look promising early.

The Rays worked Baz for 26 pitches in the first inning after he retired the first two batters and issued back-to-back walks. He struck out Palacios.

The count reached 47 pitches after the second and the Orioles trailed 1-0. But Baz began to breeze and got through the sixth at 94 pitches.

Baz was on the verge of ending a nine-decision losing streak on the road dating back to July 7, 2025. He came close to earning his first win away from home since tossing a career-high eight scoreless innings on June 26, 2025 in Kansas City.

It didn’t happen.

Tyler Wells retired his three batters on 17 pitches in the seventh inning and passed the baton to Nunez.

Feduccia crossed up the Orioles with a leadoff bunt single in the eighth, Junior Caminero singled with two outs and it got worse.

Second still stings Orioles

The Orioles have been outscored 43-14 in the second inning. The 42 runs allowed before today were the most in the majors, followed by the Nationals’ 35. The 14 runs scored were the fifth fewest.

The trend tracked again today.

Feduccia hit his first major league home run in his 71st game by driving a first-pitch fastball 421 feet to center field for a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Overall, the Orioles have been outscored 95-52 from the first to third innings

Henderson’s left-on-left hitting

Gunnar Henderson batted second again today with the Rays starting southpaw Steven Matz, who was reinstated from the injured list this morning.

Henderson lined a single into center field in the first inning and grounded a ball up the middle in the third to keep former teammate Cedric Mullins busy. They talked on the field earlier in the day, as captured by the MASN camera.

With total disregard for exit velocity, Henderson’s singles were clocked at 78.8 and 85.3 mph off the bat.

Henderson and Adley Rutschman were stranded in the first, but Taylor Ward walked in the third ahead of Henderson’s single and scored the tying run with two outs on Alonso’s 111.8 mph single to left field.

Good things can happen when the ball is scalded or slapped.

Jonny DeLuca made a diving catch in right to rob Tyler O’Neill and keep the score 1-1.

Henderson had 10 hits on the road trip after his single in the fifth against Scholtens.

Alonso took over the team lead in RBIs with 28, the second today on an opposite-field home run in the sixth that gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead.

It grew to 3-1 later in the inning when Basallo rattled the seats in right with a 400-foot shot.

Most of Alonso’s hits this year are pulled to left field, but five of his nine homers have gone to right.

Holliday holds down third

Jackson Holliday pinch-hit for Weston Wilson in the sixth inning, struck out looking and played third base for the first time in the majors.

Of course, the ball immediately found him.

The first batter, Caminero, hit a chopper to the left side. Holliday charged it, took a few more steps and threw out Caminero, which had players in the visiting dugout pounding the railing in approval.

The experiment lasted one inning. Holliday moved to second base in the seventh, with Blaze Alexander going from center to third and Colton Cowser entering the game.

Fun while it lasted.

Holliday fielded a ground ball in the eighth and got the force at second before Caminero singled.

The fun really was over.