Baltimore Orioles Daily: Birds lose thanks to Mychal Givens’ 8th-inning meltdown

The Baltimore Orioles had a chance to win their first series since the beginning of the month, but they were worn down by the Nationals’ potent lineup.

The Baltimore Orioles lost to the Washington Nationals on Thursday night, falling to an American League-worst 21-52. The Birds came tantalizingly close to their first series win since June 6, but a rocky relief performance from Mychal Givens put them back in the loss column.

The game was tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth when Givens came out for his second inning of work. The wheels came off quickly, as Bryce Harper hit a double and Trea Turner singled to center field, putting runners at the corners with no one out. Givens then struck out Anthony Rendon, but his luck ran out against 19-year-old sensation Juan Soto, who hit a bases-clearing double to put the Nats up 4-2. The Orioles went down in order in the ninth, and the ballgame was over.

It was nice to see Mark Trumbo and Colby Rasmus flash some power — their home runs provided the Orioles’ only offensive production of the day — but it wasn’t enough to knock off their regional rivals. Will the Birds fare any better against another NL East opponent, the Atlanta Braves? The series is set to start tonight at 7:35 p.m. ET. Until then, here’s what you might have missed yesterday.

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Best of Orioles news and analysis across the web from 6/21/16

Orioles keep tinkering with roster as everyone awaits bigger moves: The Birds have called up a variety of little-known names in recent weeks, but they’ve yet to begin the inevitable fire sale. Harrison Jozwiak of Camden Chat lays out the state of the roster as we wait for the other shoe to drop.

Orioles’ Chris Davis to return from hiatus Friday night in Atlanta: After posting a .150/.227/.227 line in his first 57 games of the season, Davis hasn’t played in over a week. Can the fallen star regain his mojo against the Braves? Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun provides the lowdown.

Could Padres be surprise entrant in Machado derby?: Numerous teams have been linked to Manny Machado, but this is the first mention of San Diego as a potential landing spot. The Padres aren’t a contender, but they’ve been known to make moves that don’t necessarily align with their place in the rebuilding cycle, like the signing of Eric Hosmer this past winter. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports has the full report.

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What do you think: can the Birds rebound against the Braves? Let us know on social media, and keep it here at Birds Watcher for more updates on the Baltimore Orioles.