Orioles trying to stop five-game skid and avoid sweep

The Orioles' season ended in New York. It started up again after they returned to Camden Yards. It ended again this weekend in Toronto.

It's so hard to keep up, which is where Twitter comes in handy.

The offense remains in a deep freeze, scoring only one run yesterday on Pedro Alvarez's homer off left-hander J.A. Happ. Alvarez was 3-for-24 with no home runs against southpaws before yesterday, but he was 3-for-7 versus Happ, a reverse splits guy who holds right-handers to a lower average.

Yovani Gallardo shut out the Blue Jays over the first four innings, but he was charged with five runs in the fifth. Mychal Givens let three inherited runners score.

Odrisamer Despaigne allowed two runs over the final two innings. He's permitted six runs in 3 1/2 innings in his last two appearances since tossing 3 2/3 scoreless in relief of Dylan Bundy.

The rotation is buckling again, the bullpen can't limit the damage and the bats are impotent. But how about that weather?

A loss today would be a season-high sixth in a row for the Orioles. They haven't scored more than five runs since July 6, and it took 14 innings - a stretch of 19 games.

Chris Davis went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts yesterday and left five runners on base. Playing in Toronto hasn't provided a cure. He's 12-for-81 (.148) this month and the Blue Jays are starting Aaron Sanchez today.

Sanchez is 11-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 20 starts. He's won his last 10 decisions, his only loss coming on April 22 against the Athletics. But Davis is 6-for-12 with a double and three home runs against him.

The Orioles actually lost to Sanchez on June 12 at Rogers Centre despite totaling six runs and 10 hits in five innings. He faced them again in his next start at Camden Yards and allowed one earned run (two total) in six innings.

Forget reverse splits here. Left-handers and right-handers are batting .227 against Sanchez.

Sanchez is 3-2 with a 5.34 ERA in 10 career games (five starts) against the Orioles. Manny Machado is 5-for-15 with two doubles. Jonathan Schoop is 3-for-9. Adam Jones is 2-for-14.

Chris Tillman needs to be the stopper again today and he also needs to bounce back from his last start, when he faced the Rockies and allowed six runs and nine hits over five innings.

Tillman has made two starts against the Blue Jays this season and allowed six runs over 11 innings. He's 5-10 with a 5.71 ERA in 22 career starts against them and 2-6 with a 7.94 ERA in 1.659 WHIP in 11 starts over 56 2/3 innings at Rogers Centre.

Edwin Encarnacion is 16-for-53 with three doubles and three home runs against Tillman. Kevin Pillar is 7-for-20 with a double and three home runs, Russell Martin is 5-for-11 with two doubles, Michael Saunders is 5-for-16 with a double and two home runs, Devon Travis is 3-for-6 with two doubles, a home run and six RBIs and Troy Tulowitzki is 2-for-7 with two home runs.

Jose Bautista is 11-for-42 with 10 strikeouts, but he also has three doubles and three home runs.

Is he going to face Darren O'Day in this series? A little drama would be nice.

O'Day has made two appearances since coming off the disabled list and struck out five batters in two scoreless innings.

The rotation is set for the Rangers series that starts Tuesday at Camden Yards. Bundy, Kevin Gausman and Gallardo take the mound.

With Monday's off-day, the Orioles don't need a fifth starter until Saturday in Chicago.