masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgIt was less than a week ago. Last Sunday, the Orioles blew out the first-place Rays on the road 9-3. At that point, they had won five of six games and were just a game under .500, at 19-20.

They took that momentum to Fenway Park and led Boston 6-0 in the sixth inning the next night. But they blew that game.

The Orioles haven’t won since. After a Tuesday rainout, they lost in 15 innings to the Yankees on Wednesday and wasted Zach Britton’s great pitching. Now they have given up 30 runs over…It was less than a week ago. Last Sunday, the Orioles blew out the first-place Rays on the road 9-3. At that point, they had won five of six games and were just a game under .500, at 19-20.

They took that momentum to Fenway Park and led Boston 6-0 in the sixth inning the next night. But they blew that game.

The Orioles haven’t won since. After a Tuesday rainout, they lost in 15 innings to the Yankees on Wednesday and wasted Zach Britton’s great pitching. Now they have given up 30 runs over two games.

Did Monday’s blown game send this team into this tailspin? It didn’t appear that way earlier this week, but with the results that followed it makes you wonder.

Other notes from another bad night at the Yard:

* Over the last two games the Orioles were outscored 30-7 in losing 13-2 to the Yankees and 17-5 to the Nationals. In those two games, the clubs combined to bat .384 versus Baltimore pitching and 16 of their 33 hits went for extra-bases with three doubles, five triples and eight homers. Those clubs batted .458 (11-for-24) with runners in scoring position over the two games.

* The Orioles’ starters in the games, Brad Bergsen and Jake Arrieta combined to allow 11 hits and 14 runs (all earned) over seven innings for an ERA of 18.00. In the eight games before that, O’s starters had pitched to a stellar ERA of 1.29.

* In the two games, the Orioles’ bullpen allowed 22 hits and 16 runs (all earned) along with seven homers over 11 innings for an ERA of 13.09.

* The Orioles’ team ERA rose from 4.25 to 4.74 after the games.

* The Nationals’ highest scoring game on the season was eight runs, before this 17-5 win. Their most hits was 15 and they had 19. Their most homers in a single game was three and they hit six last night. Their most extra-base hits in a game was five and they had eight.

* The Nationals had not scored in their last 19 innings but they scored in seven of their nine at-bats in the win. They had scored 17 runs in their previous six games before getting 17 last night.

* The Orioles have allowed 42 runs on 63 hits in losing the last four games.

* To show it wasn’t 100 percent bad, a couple of hot hitters kept hitting amidst the pounding of the O’s pitchers. Vladimir Guerrero had his sixth straight multi-hit game, tying a career best run that he did once before, in 2000. Vlad is 13-for-28 over the six games.

* Adam Jones is batting .415 over his past 10 games. Nick Markakis is batting .440 during a six-game batting streak that has raised his average 32 points. Matt Wieters is hitting .390 during a nine-game batting streak with seven RBIs.

Maybe Jeremy Guthrie can pitch the Orioles out of this losing streak later today.

Coming tonight: Brian Matusz will make his second rehab start when he pitches at home for Bowie at 6:30 p.m. I will be there to cover that game. Check here later for blogs from Bowie.