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BALTIMORE—For the first time this season, the Orioles have a four-game losing streak. After being swept in Houston over the weekend, the Orioles returned home for a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians.
For the third straight game, they generated little offense in a 3-2 loss before 20,309 at Oriole Park on Monday night.
After scoring 28 runs on Thursday at Yankee Stadium and 11 on Friday against the Astros, the Orioles have scored just four in the last three games.
The Orioles (49-29) lost a half-game to the idle New York Yankees and trail by two games in the American League East.
They had five hits in the first two innings against Tanner Bibee (6-2), and none after that.
Heston Kjerstad, recalled from Norfolk before the game, had two hits, and his third-inning single with two outs was the Orioles’ final one.
Bibee, Tim Herrin and Hunter Gaddis retired 12 straight until Anthony Santander walked with two outs in the eighth. Kjerstad flied out to the end the eighth on the 13th pitch of his at-bat, with the fans on their feet.
Scott Barlow struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
Cleveland’s first three batters reached against Oriole starter Cade Povich (0-2). José Ramirez’s single scored Steven Kwan.
The Orioles tied it in the bottom of the first when Ryan O’Hearn’s single scored Gunnar Henderson, who led off with a double against Bibee.
One-out doubles by Gabriel Arias and Bo Naylor gave the Guardians (50-26) a 2-1 lead in the second.
The Orioles tied it at 2 in the bottom of the third when Adley Rutschman doubled with one out. O’Hearn reached on an error by Josh Naylor at first, and Santander’s sacrifice fly to center drove in Rutschman.
Stephen Schneeman tripled with one out in the fourth and tried to score on Arias’ fly to right, but Santander’s throw home was perfect, and James McCann applied the tag to keep the game tied, 2-2.
Ramírez hit his 20th home run to begin the sixth, and after Will Brennan singled with two outs, Povich was removed, with the Orioles trailing 3-2
Povich allowed three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out five.
Bibbe left after six. He allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits, one walk and struck out seven.