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BALTIMORE—After six straight wins, the Orioles were hoping for their second consecutive series sweep. Oriole starter Cole Irvin allowed two quick runs in the first, and the Orioles never caught up.
The Orioles’ 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves before 33,700 at Camden Yards on Thursday still gave Baltimore(45-23) a series win, and it broke the Braves’ five game losing streak.
Atlanta (36-30) scored two runs against Irvin by the third batter. Michael Harris II singled and Ozzie Albies doubled. Both scored on Marcell Ozuna’s double.
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Albies’ RBI single in the fourth scored Adam Duvall for a 3-0 lead, and Orlando Arcia’s double drove in Jared Kelenic with the fourth run in the sixth.
Irvin (6-3) allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
The Orioles were baffled by Reynaldo López (4-2), who allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings. Gunnar Henderson lead off the first and Jordan Westburg the second with singles.
After Westburg’s single, López retired 14 straight Orioles before Adley Rutschman walked with two outs in the sixth, López’s only walk. He struck out eight.
Westburg doubled with one out against Pierce Johnson in the seventh. Cedric Mullins walked with two outs, and Kyle Stowers homered, his first of the season. to cut Atlanta’s lead to 4-3.
Ryan O’Hearn singled against Joe Jiménez with two outs in the eighth. Anthony Santander appeared to chase ball four and popped to left, ending the inning.
With Cionel Pérez on the mound in the ninth, Atlanta added two tack-on runs.
Harris reached on an error by O’Hearn at first. Albies’ double was his fourth hit, and Harris scored on Pérez’s wild pitch. Matt Olson’s double scored Albies, and it was 6-3.
In the bottom of the ninth, Westburg was hit by a pitch by Raisel Iglesias. Colton Cowser hit into a force play, Mullins singled, and with first and second, Harris made a diving play in center on Stowers’ sinking liner.
Ryan Mountcastle, pinch-hitting for Jorge Mateo, grounded out to second, and Iglesias had his 17th save.
Note: The Orioles claimed right-hander Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for Stoudt on the 40-man roster, the Orioles transferred John Means from the 15-day to 60-day injured list.