Trouble at the Start, Short at the Finish

Late Comeback Can't Revive Orioles: Rangers 11, Orioles 10

BALTIMORE, July 6 -- Before the start of a seven-game homestand last week, Baltimore Orioles Manager Dave Trembley stood in front of his players and offered a stark assessment. He told them to let the next 20 games -- half of them before the all-star break, half of them after it -- serve as a bellwether.

If things go well, just maybe the Orioles can creep back into American League relevance. Anything less and Baltimore is likely just playing for pride.

"If we somehow can get to the all-star break in good shape, then the 11 [games] that we play at home after the break, let's see where we're at," Trembley said before Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. "Anything can happen."

The outlook isn't promising. Baltimore lost, 11-10, before 22,276 fans to end a 3-4 stay at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the last time the Orioles will be at home before the all-star break.

"We're not there yet, but we're working in that direction," said second baseman Brian Roberts, who was 2 for 5 with a home run. "We still have some work to do. . . . It's a work in progress still at this point."

The Rangers (46-43) ground down the Orioles (44-43) over the course of 3 hours 48 minutes, using rallies of four runs in the fourth inning and five runs in the eighth to gain a substantial lead.

But as they have done all season, the Orioles battled back. Right fielder Nick Markakis (3 for 5, three RBI) narrowed the gulf on the scoreboard with a three-run home run in the eighth and first baseman Kevin Millar and Melvin Mora, who was pinch-hitting, followed in the ninth with solo blasts. Ultimately, however, Baltimore was unable to resuscitate the Oriole Magic that has helped it win games and remain competitive for a good portion of this season.

The Orioles' starters have struggled to pitch effectively -- or even just pitch -- after the fifth inning. And the bullpen, Baltimore's biggest asset, has been beset by injuries -- the latest being to Adam Loewen, who exited Sunday's game with pain in his left elbow -- and is scraping for the right mix.

"I think a fair assessment is our starting pitchers have to go longer in the games," Trembley said.

Radhamés Liz had been superb in recent appearances but failed to gain traction from the beginning Sunday. He threw 33 pitches in the first inning and frequently found himself with runners on base. Liz (3-1) earned his first loss after allowing four earned runs on seven hits with five walks over 3 2/3 innings.

In the third inning, Liz yielded a leadoff single to Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (3 for 5). Then he errantly threw past first base after fielding a dribbler hit by shortstop Ramón Vázquez. Then he served center fielder Josh Hamilton a 1-2 slider, which Hamilton crushed for a single to score Kinsler. Hamilton scored on a wild pitch.

Though Texas expanded its lead with five runs in the eighth, the Orioles somehow cobbled together five runs in the final two innings.

The positive for the Orioles is that only about a third of this pivotal period, according to Trembley, has been completed. They now have to take to the road against Toronto and Boston, still trying to get themselves pointed in the right direction for a strong second half.

"Every team goes through that at some point," Roberts said. "You keep battling and plugging and see where you are in the end."