Orioles avoid shutout but drop doubleheader (Stewart optioned)

The Orioles waited to bat in the top of the first inning in the second game of today's doubleheader while wearing their white jerseys and treated as outsiders.

Walk-up music was played for the Marlins. Introductions were accompanied by images of the Miami players on the video board.

If meals weren't prepackaged in the clubhouses, the spread surely would have included Joe's stone crabs.

The crab shuffle should have been replaced by Don Johnson hiding a baseball in his white suit.

The 2020 season won't become normal, but it's strayed so far that it's unrecognizable.

So is an Orioles offense that never made it back from the off-day.

The Marlins scored twice in the bottom of the first inning to again claim a lead and their pitchers continued to flummox the Orioles in a 2-1 victory that completed the doubleheader sweep.

The Orioles (5-6) have lost three straight after sweeping the Rays and are trying to avoid dropping all four games to the Marlins. They're now 8-25 all-time against Miami, which sent five pitchers to the mound in a shortened span.

Outscored 7-1 so far in the series, the Orioles were on the verge of being shut out in three straight games for the first time since Sept. 25-27, 2015 at Fenway Park. Austin Hays sent a high bouncer to the left side with two outs in the sixth inning that deflected off two gloves and rolled into the outfield to plate Anthony Santander and reduce the lead to 2-1.

Pat Valaika flied out against former Orioles farmhand Stephen Tarpley and the Marlins stayed ahead.

Asher Wojciechowski surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first inning after a leadoff walk and Jon Berti's double. Jesús Aguilar lifted a sacrifice fly to right field and Brian Anderson beat the shift with a ground ball single through a vacated right side.

Frustration was evident as Hanser Alberto chased down the ball, threatening to throw his glove at it while in full stride.

Glove was in hand, arm was cocked, but Alberto held onto it.

Wojciechowski held his composure and retired 10 batters in a row before former Orioles catcher Ryan Lavarnway led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. He set down 13 of the last 15, with Tanner Scott replacing him in the sixth.

Wojciechowski allowed two runs and four hits with one walk and four strikeouts and threw 67 pitches.

Josh A. Smith worked the first two innings for the Marlins and Sterling Sharp, a Rule 5 selection from the Nationals, made his major league debut in the third.

In an empty ballpark as the home team in a road venue. Good luck explaining that one to the grandkids.

Brian Moran, the nephew of former Oriole B.J. Surhoff, struck out Hays pinch-hitting to end the fourth and fanned two more in the fifth after a leadoff walk to Valaika.

Justin Shafer replaced Moran and struck out Alberto to end the inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Santander and walked Pedro Severino with two outs in the sixth, and Hays produced a hit against Tarpley that was redirected multiple times.

The Marlins must feel the same way. No longer in quarantine and again able to play baseball.

And right now doing it better than the Orioles, as both the home and road team.

Update: The Orioles have optioned outfielder DJ Stewart to the alternate camp site in Bowie following today's doubleheader.

Stewart is 0-for-14 with eight strikeouts and six walks.

Rosters must be reduced from 30 to 28 players by Thursday. Pitcher John Means is on the bereavement list.

Stewart walked in his only plate appearance in the nightcap.

José Iglesias, who led off the fourth inning with his sixth double, is getting closer to playing shortstop again. He's been kept off the field because of a sore left quadriceps muscle.

"I think it was a very positive day for me, moving around pain-free," he said. "Tomorrow we'll see what Skip wants to do, maybe DH in another game. I don't know. But the good news was I was pain-free and it was a great day for me, personally."

Iglesias on team's struggles: "It's not fun. We just lost two games, but I think we've got to move forward. Tomorrow is another day. We're going to get an opportunity to play the game and come back."

Iglesias on being visitors: "It doesn't make any difference to me. I get to play the game. It was definitely weird hitting in the first inning, but it's baseball and at the end of the day it's baseball and we're very happy to be part to the season no matter the situation we're going through."

Hyde on whether being visitors was disruptive: "It was strange. I don't think it was disruptive, but it was strange to have your home whites on and be the visitor in your home ballpark. But that didn't have any outcome on the game. We just didn't swing the bat and score runs. Pitched great today, both games, but we just couldn't get anything going offensively."

Wojciechowski on his roll: "I just thought I was mixing my pitches well and locating. They're pretty aggressive, so just being able to mix well, throw all four pitches for strikes and get early contact."

Wojciechowski on being visitors: "It was different. Being the visiting team in your home ballpark made the warmup routine a little bit different, something that you're not really used to, so it was definitely a different feeling, but I've got to do a better job from the first hitter on. I thought I threw the ball well other than the first batter of the game. I threw four non-competitive pitches to start the game and I've got to do a better job there."