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BALTIMORE -- The ways things have been going for the Orioles, the first inning of Friday's game -- in which the Indians loaded the bases -- seemed like the latest costly hiccup.

"That could have got away from him," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of starter Dylan Bundy's opening frame. "We've had some tough times here recently, obviously, and the game starts like that and a popup or two we don't catch. It's just human nature to have that vibe get kind of negative if you let it."

But Bundy never wavered. A bright spot despite Baltimore's frustratingly slow start, the righty held the Tribe to one run and finally was rewarded for his efforts, picking up his first win of the season in the O's 3-1 series-opening victory.

Video: CLE@BAL: Bundy fans Perez, leaves the bases loaded

"Yeah, feels good, thank you," Bundy said of putting the "W" by his name. "Just trying to limit the damage there [in the first]. Could have been a lot worse and put us in a hole there, but was able to get out of it and continue on throughout the game."

Bundy -- who allowed his only run on a hit-by-pitch in the first -- struck out nine over six innings to help the Orioles snap a six-game skid. The righty, who has a team-leading 1.42 ERA in five starts, couldn't have taken the mound at a better time.

Coming off a winless two-city road trip, Friday's victory was just the second in 10 games for the O's (6-14), who are desperate to get things going as they risk being buried early in the American League East standings.

Video: CLE@BAL: Showalter on much-needed win over Cleveland

"To beat a really good pitcher [in Trevor Bauer] and one of the top four teams in the American League going in, that's tough to go through that lineup and hold them to one run," Showalter said.

"We talked in the advance meeting, 'Here's an opportunity.' Those are the type of people we have to beat to get where we want to go."

Video: CLE@BAL: Mancini rips a two-run double to left-center

Tied at 1, Trey Mancini's two-run double into left-center field put the O's up for good in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Chance Sisco and Luis Sardinas. Mancini would later exit the game after slamming his right knee into the base of the left-field wall during an unsuccessful attempt at a diving catch.

• Mancini day to day with knee injury

Red-hot Manny Machado homered for the third time in two days with a solo blast off Bauer in the fourth. But it was Bundy who really set the tone, rebounding from a rocky first inning and exiting after striking out the side in a pitching clinic in the sixth.

"It's a huge win," Machado said. "You've got to win after losing six [straight] against a good team like Cleveland. Just felt good. Dylan threw the heck out of the ball today and we gave him some runs to help him out with it, so you know, hopefully we can ride from this and continue doing what we have to do."

Video: CLE@BAL: Machado crushes a solo homer on a 3-0 pitch

Bundy got into trouble in the first after a pair of one-out singles and walk loaded the bases. He grazed Edwin Encarnacion's elbow to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead but held them from there, getting a shallow popup before striking out Roberto Perez to end the frame.

Cleveland would muster up just three hits off Bundy the rest of the evening. The righty has allowed just five earned runs over his first 31 2/3 innings, striking out 40 and walking eight.

Righty Richard Bleier, who has become arguably the team's most reliable reliever, tossed two scoreless innings to lower his season ERA to 0.61.

Video: CLE@BAL: O'Day whiffs Lindor to secure the save

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Manny flashes the leather: Machado made a diving stop on Jose Ramirez's two-out chopper up the middle in the top of the seventh, flipping the ball from his stomach over to second base to get the out and prevent a run.

Video: CLE@BAL: Machado lays out, flips to save a run

"It's just reaction. It's all reaction. I'll probably look back and go see it on the MLB app, but just trying to make plays for my team, trying to make out," Machado said. " At the end of the day it's about staying in the zone, staying under control and being able to make that good throw to second base and knowing who is running at the same time, because I could have gotten up and thrown. It was a heckuva play, for sure." More >

Video: CLE@BAL: Bundy on his first win, Machado on defense

HE SAID IT
"I'm just glad that I had front-row seats to that play. [I] turned around like, 'Aw, that ball's up the middle.' [And then was] like, 'Oh wow, that was an incredible play.' Yeah, a lot of things are definitely going my way, I would say."
-- Bleier, on Machado's seventh-inning snag

UP NEXT
Chris Tillman will get the ball on Saturday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET looking to get back on track. The righty, coming off a poor 2017, is 0-3 with an 11.91 ERA on the season. He'll be opposed by Indians righty Mike Clevinger.

BALTIMORE -- Orioles left fielder Trey Mancini exited Friday night's 3-1 win over the Indians in the top of the eighth inning with a right knee injury and is day to day.

Mancini sustained the injury after slamming his right knee into the base of the left-field wall during an unsuccessful attempt at a diving catch of a Yonder Alonso foul pop.

"X-rays, he's got a puncture in there, too," manager Buck Showalter said of Mancini. "We'll see how he is tomorrow. They're contemplating a couple of sutures, but we'll see. For him to come out of the game, he got pretty stiff."

With the O's up two runs and Richard Bleier pitching, Mancini chased down Alonso's pop, but the ball landed in the stands as Mancini's upper body slammed into the padded wall, his right knee hitting the unpadded base.

After Showalter and head athletic trainer Brian Ebel came out to check on Mancini, who tried to jog in the outfield, the left fielder walked off the field gingerly. He was replaced by Craig Gentry.

Video: CLE@BAL: Mancini rips a two-run double to left-center

Any lengthy absence of Mancini would certainly hurt the Orioles. The left fielder has become the team's leadoff hitter and is giving a struggling O's lineup some of its best at-bats. Mancini drove in two runs to break the 1-1 tie on Friday and currently has an eight-game hitting streak.

BALTIMORE -- Red-hot Manny Machado extended his team lead in homers to six, going deep for the third time in two games with a fourth-inning solo blast in Friday's 3-1 win over the Indians.

"Honestly, it's just a matter of just kind of staying short. It's tough, I'm not a big free swinger at 3-0," said Machado, who hit his first career homer in that count off Trevor Bauer. "I never make good contact with it, you try to get too big and try to do too much and that's the tradition. But I think I'm feeling pretty good with my swing, staying in the zone, trying to stay under control. And it was a helluva pitch. I look back at it and it was a helluva pitch and I was just trying to make some good contact with it."

For Machado -- who homered twice in Thursday's game in Detroit -- it kept up his recent dominance against Cleveland. In 29 career games against the Indians, he has eight homers, 10 doubles and 19 RBIs. The shortstop, who has an eight-game hit streak, leads the Orioles with 15 RBIs.

"I thought Manny's home run [turned the momentum]," manager Buck Showalter said. "[The sense was] this game is tied and we had a pitcher on top of his game, so let's go."

Machado also impressed with his glove, snagging Jose Ramirez's two-out chopper up the middle in the top of the seventh with a diving stop. He then turned and flipped the ball from his stomach over to second base to get the out and prevent a run.

Video: CLE@BAL: Machado lays out, flips to save a run

"I'm just glad that I had front-row seats to that play," Orioles reliever Richard Bleier said. "[I] turned around like, 'Aw, that ball's up the middle.' [And then I was] like, 'Oh wow, that was an incredible play.'"

Machado said it all came down to timing things and having a good sense of the clock and who was running.

"I anticipated going up the middle a little bit there," he said, "and that, at the end of the day, it was just staying in the zone and knowing how much time I had."

BALTIMORE -- Orioles closer Zach Britton threw off a half-mound for the first time on Friday afternoon, throwing 20 fastballs in a big step forward in his progression from offseason Achilles surgery.

"Felt really good. It was the first bullpen, so I had to think about that too," said Britton. "Arm felt really good. Just had to really think about getting over that foot, no hesitation, especially as we got going. Maybe the first couple throws, but once we got going it felt really good."

The lefty is eligible to come of the disabled list on May 28 and manager Buck Showalter said it's realistic to expect Britton to be back "shortly thereafter." The next step for Britton, and arguably one bigger than Friday's throwing, will be taking pitchers fielding practice on Saturday.

"The doctor said that I wasn't going to have an issue getting back on the mound," Britton said. "So running, stopping. I'm not sure if I'm going to do throwing, but I'm going to do the running and stopping off the mound and see how it feels. But the way it's been going I haven't had any issues whatsoever in anything that we've added new, so I don't expect to have any. Just mentally getting off the mound, running hard, stopping, turning around and throwing the ball to first."

Mark Trumbo, who is currently sidelined with a quad injury, said Friday he feels much improved and is hoping to get out on a rehab assignment with an affiliate soon. Showalter said the team is hoping Trumbo can get in some games as early as Monday.

The Orioles announced Friday that they have called up left-hander Tanner Scott from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned infielder Engelb Vielma to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Scott, 23, allowed an earned run off two hits in his lone 1 2/3 inning appearance against the Yankees on April 8. The Orioles' No. 6 prospect figures to serve as a long reliever.

The 23-year old Vielma tallied his only three plate appearances for Baltimore on Wednesday, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

DETROIT -- It feels like a lifetime ago, though only 10 days have passed. The Orioles had a somewhat improbable 12-inning win in the Bronx to secure three of four games against the Yankees -- more wins than they had all of last year in New York. The tides, it seemed like, they were a turnin'.

But any goodwill from that four-game set has long since washed away. That Baltimore club has hardly been recognizable since it boarded the Amtrak bound for home.

"There's no excuse on anything," Orioles shortstop Manny Machado said following the team's 13-8, series-sweeping loss to Detroit. "We are playing bad and got to clean it up a little bit, and things will turn around."

Video: BAL@DET: Machado drills a pair of solo home runs

The Orioles have lost eight of its last nine games, falling 11 games behind the division-leading Red Sox, and leaving question marks on nearly every facet of its roster. Thursday's loss saw Alex Cobb -- the O's big spring acquisition -- fail to complete four innings for the second time in two starts this season. The bullpen struggled, with righty Mike Wright Jr. giving up five more runs. And while it was encouraging to see the lineup break out for eight runs -- the most scored since the series finale in the Bronx -- it was another frustrating example of the Orioles' recent inability to get both the pitching and hitting to click at once.

"It can be tomorrow, it can be May 3," Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said of the team's eventual turnaround. "If it's May 3, there's going to be some trouble. But you never know with [baseball], we can come out tomorrow on a 10-game homestand and win all 10 games and put ourselves in a different scenario.

"It's a cliche, the one game at a time [stuff]. But we need to be better. That's everybody, top to bottom. I think everyone feels the same way because we are a cohesive unit. ... We know [the ability is] there, we just have to continuously have faith in each other and do what we do best, play hard and live with the results."

Over this nine-game stretch, the Orioles -- who have a six-game losing streak -- have been outscored, 55-29. The lineup -- which has struggled as a collective unit -- worked from behind early on Thursday as an error and some well-placed ground balls off Cobb gave way to a four-run second inning.

Two of the runs were unearned due to Tim Beckham's off-base throw to start the frame, and after a scoreless third, Cobb surrendered Leonys Martin's triple and Jeimer Candelario followed with a two-run homer.

"Command is not where it's going to be," manager Buck Showalter said of Cobb, who has allowed 10 hits in both of his starts this year. "We didn't play particularly well defensively behind him too, we gave up a lot of outs, some things that don't show up in the error column -- double plays that weren't turned."

The O's righty -- signed to a four-year contract last month -- was ultimately charged with 10 hits and seven runs (five earned), forcing Showalter to go to the bullpen in the fourth inning.

"You come into the offseason wanting to -- when you're a free agent -- join a winning team and contribute, and be a big reason why [your team is] winning ballgames. I feel like it's almost the opposite right now. I'm coming in here and putting them behind the eight-ball in terms of the overall score and eating up the bullpen a lot," Cobb said. "I still feel a little bit behind where everyone else is, and you can't miss a beat when you're up here. These guys take advantage of anybody that's off a little bit. So, it's my job to get better, and get better as quick as possible and come out here and try to be that guy I wanted to be in the beginning."

Wright replaced Cobb and he allowed five runs -- including Martin's grand slam -- in the fifth to put the game out of reach.

Machado homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the offense, with Chris Davis also going deep for a two-run shot off of Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann in the second inning. Zimmermann went 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.

Video: BAL@DET: Davis belts an opposite-field two-run homer

"Oof. It's frustrating," Jones said of the offense breaking out and the pitching and defense struggling. "We all come to the park with a plan and sometimes that plan doesn't work out. We put up some runs and gave up two big innings that were hard to come back from ... they hurt. We got to do better at taking care of the ball, securing the ball, take the out that's given to you."

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Not Wright: It would be unfair to judge the day on any one hit, though Martin's grand slam certainly put any Orioles' rallying hopes out of reach. Baltimore, only down 7-3 when Cobb exited, watched the deficit balloon to nine. Martin's second homer of the year more than doubled his season RBI total, and gave Detroit a crooked number on the scoreboard.

Video: BAL@DET: Martin belts a grand slam to right

"If we can get some shutdown innings after Alex exited, I felt like we were in the ballgame and we'd make a run at them," Showalter said. "Just couldn't stem the tide after [Cobb left]."

HE SAID IT
"There's no panic in anybody in there. I think guys are frustrated with how things have been turning out. We just got to stay positive and figure it out tomorrow. This will pass." -- Machado

UP NEXT
The Orioles, winless in two road series, will head home to Baltimore to host the Indians for a four-game series starting on Friday, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Staff ace Dylan Bundy will take the mound opposite Trevor Bauer. Bundy is still looking for his first win despite three quality starts and a 1.40 ERA.

DETROIT -- Chris Davis struck a ball on Wednesday afternoon that couldn't have been closer to a home run, hitting the top of the left-field fence before bouncing back into play. In his first at-bat Thursday, Davis left no doubt. The struggling O's slugger hit a two-run homer in the second inning off of Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann to give Baltimore an early lead, before eventually falling to the Tigers, 13-8.

Davis, who entered the day batting just .136 with one home run and three RBIs, is now 6-for-10 with four career homers off of Zimmermann. Thursday's homer also scored Adam Jones, who doubled, and came on a 1-1 fastball.

As the Orioles (5-13) have struggled to start the season, Davis has been receiving his share of criticism. Signed to a club-record seven-year, $161 million contract, Davis -- who vowed this spring to have more productive, aggressive at-bats -- is one of several Orioles regulars batting below the Mendoza Line.

Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Thursday.

The Brewers' top two prospects showed a bit of why they are so highly-touted on Thursday night.

Milwaukee's No. 1 prospect Keston Hiura (No. 56 overall) hit his first homer of the season in a 2-for-5 showing with Class A Advanced Carolina while Corbin Burnes (Brewers' No. 2, No. 69 overall) spun a scoreless start and picked up the win for Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Hiura, who hit .371 in 42 games after he was picked in the first round a season ago, got off to a slow start this season, but he appears to be finding his rhythm. The 21-year-old has hits in four of his past five games, raising his average from .143 to .220 over that timeframe.

Hiura's first homer of 2018

Burnes was impressive from start to finish as he struck out the side in the first inning, setting the tone for things to come. The right-hander notched at least one strikeout in five of his first six innings, ultimately finishing with nine.

Burnes faced one batter in the seventh, got a flyout, then was lifted after yielding three hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Burnes rings up ninth strikeout

Other top prospect performances from Thursday's action:

• No. 3 overall prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays' No. 1) is hitting .362/.411/.596 after going 2-for-4 with Double-A New Hampshire. Guerrero has hits in 10 of 12 games this season and has notched multiple hits in five of his past six games. While Guerrero was contributing on the offensive end, Jordan Romano (No. 27) kept Binghamton in check with seven innings of one-run ball.

• No. 23 overall prospect Austin Hays (Orioles' No. 1) was responsible for half of Double-A Bowie's offense in a 6-1 win over Richmond. Hays finished just 1-for-4, but he drove in three runs via a sacrifice fly in the first and a two-run homer in the ninth. Cedric Mullins (Orioles' No. 7) collected a season-high three hits, going 3-for-5, and Keegan Akin (Orioles' No. 9) picked up his first win of the year as he struck out seven over six innings of one-run ball.

Hays goes the other way

• No. 38 overall prospect Jack Flaherty (Cardinals' No. 2) spun the first complete game of his career (seven innings) and moved to 3-0 as he led Triple-A Memphis to a win over Omaha in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The 22-year-old right hander gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and struck out six while throwing 67 of his 95 pitches for strikes.

Flaherty finishes complete game

• No. 97 overall prospect Austin Riley (Braves' No. 8) is swinging a scorching-hot bat for Double-A Mississippi. The 21-year-old, who went 3-for-3, is hitting .408 after his fourth straight multi-hit effort. Over those four games, Riley is 10-for-15 with six extra-base hits and five RBIs.

• No. 99 overall prospect Blake Rutherford (White Sox No. 7) continued his hot start and extended his hitting streak to six games, going 4-for-5 with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. Rutherford, who is batting .404 through 11 games, also set a career high with four RBIs. Micker Adolfo (No. 10) also contributed to the win, hitting his third homer of the year.

Rutherford's two-run single

• Athletics No. 8 prospect Sean Murphy pushed his average to .409 with his fourth consecutive multi-hit performance for Double-A Midland. Murphy, who hit just .209 in 53 games with Midland last season, went 4-for-5 and is off to a particularly fast start at the plate. The 23-year-old has hits in nine of the 11 games he's played in and has also racked up nine RBIs.

Murphy knocks out four hits

• Braves No. 10 prospect Joey Wentz was once again dominant for Class A Advanced Florida. Wentz retired the first five batters he faced on his way toward hurling five scoreless innings. The 20-year-old hasn't given up a run in either of his past two starts (10 innings) and has allowed just one run all season. Wentz struck out six, including the final two batters he faced, and has now fanned 15 in 14 innings.

• Cubs No. 3 prospect Oscar De La Cruz bounced back from a couple rough starts to spin a gem for Double-A Tennessee. The right-hander gave up 11 earned runs over six innings in his first two starts, but he showed no signs of struggle against Montgomery. De La Cruz dominated through six scoreless frames, surrendering just one hit and striking out six.

De La Cruz fans six

• Pirates prospects Calvin Mitchell (No. 16) and Travis MacGregor (No. 25) led Class A West Virginia to a 3-0 win over Asheville. Mitchell, who finished 2-for-4, provided all the offense with a three-run homer in the third while MacGregor did his part by pitching six scoreless innings. MacGregor, who struck out six and yielded three hits, has given up just one earned run over three starts this season.

• Red Sox No. 11 prospect Josh Ockimey picked the perfect time -- waiting until the bases were loaded -- to hit his first homer of the season. The 22-year-old went 3-for-4 for Double-A Portland and put the game out of reach with a grand slam in the seventh.

• Royals No. 25 prospect Chase Vallot snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a first-inning grand slam for Class A Advanced Wilmington. Vallot picked up a fifth RBI via a bases-loaded walk in the fourth, but is still having a tough time at the plate as he finished 1-for-5.

• Angels No. 29 prospect Joe Gatto gave up five runs in three innings in his last start with Class A Advanced Inland Empire, but he bounced back in a big way against Lancaster. The 22-year-old right-hander fired 53 of his 79 pitches for strikes as he struck out nine and yielded three hits over six scoreless frames. Gatto struck out the side in the first and notched at least one strikeout in five of his six innings.

In April, everything is magnified. The numbers that are on the scoreboard and in box scores represent a small sample size, but they are still the numbers fans fixate on, because there is nothing else to go off yet. This is particularly true for the key newcomers for each team.

Here is a look at how it is going for five newbies in the American League East.

Blue Jays
Who's the new guy? Right fielder Randal Grichuk

How's it going so far? Grichuk had just three hits in his first 42 at-bats before he homered and hit a key double against the Royals in Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader. Grichuk entered play on Thursday with 19 strikeouts over 61 plate appearances, and he has yet to live up to the hype as Jose Bautista's replacement in right field.

Video: KC@TOR: Grichuk rips a 114.1-mph three-run homer

What's on deck? Grichuk has a pair a 20-plus homer seasons on his resume, so there's a reasonable expectation that he should be able to turn things around. It needs to happen soon, because Teoscar Hernandez will push him for playing time in right.

Number to know: The offensive production hasn't been there, but Grichuk was credited with two defensive runs saved in his first 14 starts in right field this season.

Orioles
Who's the new guy? Starting pitcher Andrew Cashner

How's it going so far? After a rocky debut, Cashner has had three consecutive quality starts. Cashner credits fellow newcomer Alex Cobb for helping him with his breaking ball. After giving up three homers in his first start, Cashner has allowed a total of two in his past three starts. To this point, he looks to be the solid No. 2 starter the Orioles thought they were getting.

Video: BAL@DET: Cashner fans Goodrum for his fifth K

What's on deck? Cashner faces a tough test on Sunday in the Indians, who have won the AL Central title the past two years. Though Cleveland got off to a slow start at the plate, manager Terry Francona's team has plenty of firepower in the lineup.

Number to know: While he's not a big power pitcher, Cashner has 21 strikeouts in his first 24 innings.

Rays
Who's the new guy? Right-hander Yonny Chirinos

How's it going so far? Chirinos became the first Rays pitcher to begin his career without allowing a run in the first two starts. Thus far, he has only started games that were designated as "bullpen days" under the Rays' new pitching plan.

Video: TEX@TB: Chirinos fans Guzman to end the frame

What's on deck? Chirinos' performance to date has fueled speculation that the Rays will slide him into the rotation in the near future.

Number to know: 14 1/3. That's the number of scoreless innings Chirinos logged to start the season.

Red Sox
Who's the new guy? Designated hitter/outfielder J.D. Martinez

How's it going so far? The slugger is off to a modest start, but that shouldn't be a surprise. Martinez's career homer total in March/April is by far his lowest of any month. He has made some contributions, most notably a grand slam against the Yankees on April 11. Martinez has come through in many of the RBI opportunities he's had, and he has fit in well with his teammates. There's no reason to think the Red Sox didn't get the right guy when they signed Martinez.

Video: BOS@LAA: Martinez notches four hits, RBI in 9-0 win

What's on deck? More home runs, and soon. It should only be a matter of time before Martinez starts clearing the fences on a regular basis. Away from the chilly conditions of Boston for the next week -- the Red Sox play at Anaheim, Oakland and Toronto (where the roof is likely to be closed) -- Martinez has a good chance to get hot.

Number to know: .992. That is Martinez's OPS in his first nine home games for the Red Sox, which is a sign of how quickly he has gained comfort at Fenway. As Martinez promised, he has not shifted away from his all-fields approach.

Yankees
Who's the new guy? Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton

How's it going so far? Not exactly how Stanton or the Yankees would have anticipated after his terrific debut, slugging two homers on Opening Day at Toronto. Stanton has heard frequent boos at Yankee Stadium, though he said that he understands why he is being singled out by his new fan base, given the expectations that accompanied his arrival.

Video: Must C Classic: Stanton hits two HRs in Yanks debut

What's on deck? Manager Aaron Boone has batted Stanton third in each of the Yankees' 16 games to this point, and said on Tuesday that he is considering lowering the slugger in the lineup -- "but not too far." Boone believes that Stanton's track record is too solid for this to continue forever, and when he does play to his career norms, opponents will pay for these early struggles.

Number to know: .086. Stanton's batting average through eight games at Yankee Stadium, where he is 3-for-35 with 20 strikeouts. Stanton is hitting .323 (10-for-31) in eight road games.

The Orioles on Thursday announced a season-long schedule of new theme nights for the 2018 season featuring a variety of unique celebrations, promotions, and giveaway items designed to further engage with Birdland's diverse fanbase. Several new events will debut this season including Yoga at The Yard, LGBT Pride Night, Star WarsTM Night, Bark at Oriole Park, and The Sandlot Movie Night. The Orioles will also host popular returning events including Game of Thrones® Night, Senior Day, Father's Day Catch on the Field, and two Birdland Socials. More theme nights will be added in the coming weeks.

As part of a continued effort to make baseball engaging for all, the Orioles will further expand outreach to fans through this series of unique theme nights. Appealing to a variety of off-the-field interests from popular culture and pets to diversity and wellness, the Orioles are committed to serving as the region's premiere summer destination for families and fans of all ages.

"We are energized by this season's robust and diverse slate of promotions, special events, and theme nights - with even more announcements yet to be made - designed to attract fans throughout the summer to celebrate Baltimore and Orioles Baseball at the Yard," said GREG BADER, Orioles Vice President of Communications & Marketing. "Drawing on some industry trends proven successful elsewhere, and creating new ideas of our own, we are excited to welcome our many visitors from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond to downtown Baltimore, the Inner Harbor, and Camden Yards, as we showcase all that our city has to offer."

"Nearly 70 million fans have made the pilgrimage to Oriole Park and downtown Baltimore since our gates first opened in 1992, making the Inner Harbor and downtown area a sports destination epicenter," added Orioles Executive Vice President, JOHN ANGELOS. "Our entire organization is working to continuously add vibrant and diverse programming around Orioles games in order to continue to attract both locals and visitors with a variety of interests, and to reinforce the club's unprecedented sports tourism impact. We are excited about the new concepts we have unveiled today and see them as just the first of many such additions to come as we attract even more visitors and regional residents to Charm City."

Below is a partial schedule of 2018 theme nights, which require the purchase of a limited special ticket package in order to participate in the promotion. Additional details will be made available for each event at a later date.

Star Wars Night - The first-ever Star Wars Night at Oriole Park will be held on May 11, highlighted by a ticket package containing a limited-edition O'Day-Wan Kenobi Bobblehead, featuring Orioles reliever DARREN O'DAY. A pregame party which includes a meet and greet with a variety of Star Wars characters is sold out. Following the game, all fans can enjoy a special fireworks display set to Star Wars music - the first of eight "Friday Fireworks at America's Ballpark" in 2018. Ticket packages featuring the bobblehead went on sale in March, and a limited number are still available.

The Sandlot Movie Night - Following the game on June 2, all fans will have an opportunity to watch the popular movie The Sandlot on the scoreboard at Oriole Park in celebration of the movie's 25th anniversary. A limited number of ticket packages that include an Orioles/The Sandlot t-shirt along with the opportunity to watch the movie from the Oriole Park field will be available for purchase. The Orioles will be hosting a group of children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore, and fans will have an opportunity to donate to the nonprofit when purchasing tickets. Ticket packages went on sale this morning.

Yoga at The Yard - Fans are invited to experience a special yoga session on the Oriole Park field following the June 16 game. Each ticket package purchase will include a ticket to the game, along with a postgame yoga session conducted by Baltimore's own Holistic Life Foundation, as well as an exclusive Orioles yoga mat. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Holistic Life Foundation, a Baltimore-based nonprofit committed to nurturing the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities. Earlier that morning, the Orioles will host an invitation-only community youth yoga and wellness clinic on the field. Ticket packages went on sale this morning.

Father's Day Catch on the Field - On June 17, fans can enjoy a Father's Day Catch on the Field experience presented by Pennington Grass Seed. Ticket packages will include a pregame session of catch on the field at Oriole Park and two tickets to the game, with the opportunity to add additional tickets and field passes. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Prostate Cancer Discovery Fund of the Brady Urological Institute of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Prior to the game, the first 20,000 fans 18 and over will receive an Orioles necktie. Ticket packages went on sale this morning.

LGBT Pride Night - The Orioles invite fans to celebrate LGBT Pride Month on June 27 with an LGBT Pride Night ticket package, which will include a ticket to the game and an O's pride cap. A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit Moveable Feast, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that provides nutritious foods and other services in order to preserve quality of life for people with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening conditions. Ticket packages, including a limited number of VIP packages with access to a pregame party on the Center Field Roof Deck, went on sale this morning.

Birdland Socials - Again this season, the Orioles will host two Birdland Socials, with the first event coming on June 26, and the second taking place on July 24, presented by GBMC. Each social media night event will include an exclusive pregame party on the Roof Deck with 250 of the Orioles' most engaged social media followers. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Senior Ticket Package - On June 28, the Orioles will offer a special ticket package for fans age 60 and over, which will include a ticket to the game in the shade, along with an Orioles umbrella. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Game of Thrones Night - Fans of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones will enjoy a pregame party in the bullpen picnic area, an opportunity to take a photo on the Iron Throne, and an exclusive KEVIN GAUSMAN Game of Thrones bobblehead on August 14 with the purchase of a ticket package. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Bark at Oriole Park - Four-legged Orioles fans will be invited to catch the game on September 12, along with their owners, when the club hosts Oriole Park's first-ever Bark at Oriole Park event. A special ticket package will include tickets for dogs and dog owners, as well as a unique pet-themed giveaway item. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS). Additional details will be announced at a later date.

The Orioles will once again host a variety of special events during the 2018 season for all fans in attendance, including Earth Day on April 22, Halfway to Christmas on June 25, Celebrate Maryland Day on July 14, and the Orioles Hall of Fame Induction on August 11. From May through August, all fans can also enjoy "Friday Fireworks at America's Ballpark" after every Friday night game.

For additional details, visit www.orioles.com/themenights.

DETROIT -- To say the bounces are not going the Orioles' way is an understatement. But, it was a literal example in Wednesday's 6-5 walk-off series loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park.

The O's much-maligned offense had just broken out for a three-run eighth inning, a huge number when you consider the team has been held to two or fewer runs eight times this season. The final run in that frame came when Chris Davis lined a ball off the left-field wall that bounced back into play. Davis narrowly missed a homer. Tigers catcher John Hicks, on the other hand, did not.

Hicks' ball off of reliever Darren O'Day, just like Davis', went careening off the top of the left-field wall. But Hicks' bounced out into the stands for a definitive three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, which erased the Orioles' rally.

Video: BAL@DET: Hicks slugs go-ahead three-run homer in 8th

"We fought hard to get some runs across the plate. I felt good, I felt confident. Just didn't make the pitches I needed to," O'Day said following the Orioles' seventh loss in eight games. "Made some good pitches to [Miguel] Cabrera, but the pitch to [Nicholas] Castellanos and the pitch to Hicks were just terrible pitches. You know, tight margins and games are won or lost late in the game. It's just really poor pitching by me."

O'Day was charged with all three Detroit runs in the eighth.

The Orioles' lineup certainly put forth a valiant effort. After Hicks' home run gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead, Luis Sardinas hit a game-tying solo shot off Shane Greene in the ninth. But it took Detroit just two pitches to respond, as Dixon Machado homered off of Rule 5 Draft pick Pedro Araujo to end the game. 

Video: BAL@DET: Machado delivers walk-off homer in the 9th

"We know that things aren't going our way right now, there's no question about it," Davis said. "You just have to keep grinding, battling, stay on it."

The Orioles, who have squandered quality starts from Dylan Bundy and Andrew Cashner in recent days, let a solid six innings from Kevin Gausman slip away on Wednesday. Gausman went six frames plus two batters, with Cabrera and Jeimer Candelario each going deep off the righty.

"I think Kevin, I'm not broadcasting that he's trying to two-seam the ball a little bit more, trying to work some balls on the ground, which he's doing, inducing some weak contact," manager Buck Showalter said of Gausman. "His work days are going great, he's competing and doing a lot better this time of year than he did last year. I'm proud of him."

Video: BAL@DET: Gausman retires Martinez to end the threat

Danny Valencia got one back for the Orioles in the second inning, sending Tigers starter Matthew Boyd's 3-2 pitch into the left-field seats in the second. It was the O's only run until the eighth, when Manny Machado tied things up with a single up the middle off Tigers reliever Drew VerHagen. Adam Jones followed with a sacrifice fly before Davis' long RBI single off the fence.

"I actually just looked at it, saw how close it was," Davis said of the near-miss home run. "It hit on the crease at the top of the wall. It doesn't get any closer."

Video: BAL@DET: Davis lines RBI singles off top of the wall

It was the kind of ball that finds a lucky roll when a team is going good. And right now, that team isn't the Orioles.

"Yeah, it's challenging," O'Day said of the past week. "We're all competitors, and every day we come in here with a loss, it affects us. Guys are pros. They know that every day is a new day. I'm the same way. Hope I get on the mound tomorrow and it will be a different result."

GAUSMAN'S NEW LOOK
Gausman debuted a new delivery quirk Wednesday that he decided on just one day prior. The right-hander reached up over his head before going into his windup, a move he committed to after doing some dry throws on Tuesday and liking how it felt.

"Felt like I was landing in the same spot every time and like I was really reaching toward home plate," Gausman said. "I told [pitching coach] Roger [McDowell] yesterday I was going to do it, and he kind of challenged me and said, 'No you're not.' And whenever someone challenges me, I'm probably going to do it even more. So it was good. Obviously, [a] couple times I hit my hat on the way up, so I need to figure that out, but I think it will come with reps. It's definitely something I can build on."

HE SAID IT
"It's so early, obviously you don't want to bury yourself right out of the gates. We know it's a long season, this division is going to be a grind day in and day out, and it's going to go down to the wire like it does every year. The biggest thing for us to remember is, we are still a good team, we still have the ability to be a good team and we just have to right the ship right now." -- Davis, on the Orioles being 10 games behind the Red Sox in the American League East before Boston's game Wednesday night

UP NEXT
The Orioles will send Alex Cobb to the mound in the series finale opposite Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET, in a game available on MLB Network outside of the Baltimore area. Cobb went just 3 2/3 innings in his season debut at Fenway Park, as the Red Sox touched him up for 10 hits and eight runs (seven earned). He'll look to bounce back on Thursday afternoon.

DETROIT -- The Orioles did not find their missing offense in Detroit.

Instead, scuffling Baltimore -- which lost all three games it played this weekend in Boston -- continued to search for its big bats and wasted another quality pitching performance in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Tigers. The O's, who bested their win total all of last year in New York by taking three of four in the Bronx, have dropped six of their seven games since.

"Everybody in that locker room knows that we're not clicking offensively right now, so everybody's trying to push and do it all in one at-bat, one swing," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter, whose club has scored two runs or fewer in eight of its 17 games. "[Hitting coach] Scott [Coolbaugh] and they all talk about it. We talk about it in every advanced meeting and around the cages. It's tough for guys at this level to kind of pull back, kind of like a pitcher, where more is not always better. But it'll happen."

Video: BAL@DET: Machado turns two to end the 6th inning

Their latest loss, which saw righty Andrew Cashner's solid effort go for naught, was a frustrating one, as Baltimore had just three chances with runners in scoring position and stranded seven men on base.

"I think the biggest thing is we just haven't had that break. The breaks have been going the other way," said Cashner, who went six quality innings and took his second loss. "I still believe in all our guys. You look at the track records of all our guys, it's there. We've just got to do better."

Yes, the Michigan weather for the series opener -- which was in the 20s with the wind chill -- was a factor, just as the unseasonable cold the past two weeks around baseball has been. But both sides play in the same conditions. And the O's, who entered the day ranked 29th in baseball in batting average and with a run differential of minus-35 (tied with Texas for worst in the American League), aren't planning on making excuses.

Video: BAL@DET: Jones on Orioles' offensive struggles

"Who cares about the weather? The opponents are playing in it, too," Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said. "We just got to get better. We got to get better, situationally. We had some people on and just couldn't get that hit. But no one likes excuses. We just have to get it done."

Fewer strikeouts would be a good place to start. The Orioles, already the Major League leaders in strikeouts entering the game, were fanned 12 times in the first eight innings. That's half of their outs. They have to find a way to make things happen more, to put the ball in play and work the opposing pitcher early on.

Video: BAL@DET: Orioles turn DP, avoid further damage in 5th

"We need to get bases loaded and a bloop hit or something like that to break it up," Jones said. "We are hitting the ball hard, but right at guys. Let's try to flip the script. There's no panic in this clubhouse. Let's just try to flip the script. But we have to get better. At the end of the day, people only care about results, not effort."

Cashner was strong on both fronts on Tuesday night. The righty went six solid innings, holding Detroit to three runs and turning in his third consecutive quality start. He struck out five and allowed seven hits and three walks over a 93-pitch outing. Two of Cashner's runs came on Victor Martinez's two-run homer -- his first of the season -- in the second inning.

"I felt like one of the things I worked on this offseason was really spinning my breaking ball. And I'd say that my curveball is probably in the best spot I've had my whole career," Cashner said. "You know, I've worked with [Alex] Cobb a lot on throwing my breaking ball. He got me to a spot to where it's like, the tick is there, if that makes sense. I think it's just spinning the baseball out front. I worked on it really hard all offseason, and it's been showing."

The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the fifth on Jeimer Candelario's RBI triple, taking the lead back after Baltimore tied it in the top half of the inning.

Trey Mancini gave the Orioles one back in the third inning, sending Tigers starter Francisco Liriano's 1-1 curveball over the left-field fence. Jones drove in Craig Gentry with a two-out RBI single in the fifth for another run, but that was the last one the O's would push across.

Video: BAL@DET: Mancini rips a line-drive solo homer to left

Detroit added a tack-on run in the eighth on a wild pitch from reliever Mychal Givens.

"We don't hit very well, and they pitched real well. You hate getting some quality pitching performances like we're getting and not being able to cash in on them, but it'll happen," Showalter said. "You've got to trust each other."

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
The O's got thrown out of a potential rally in the fifth as Manny Machado was caught between second and third base on Jones' RBI. The inning-ending out came when the game was tied at 2, and it quashed any chance of a bigger inning as the O's continue to give up key outs on the bases this season.

Video: BAL@DET: Jones plates Gentry with a single to right

HE SAID IT
"About June. If we are playing this crappy by June, let us know. We got still 140 games to go. Anything can happen. You are going to lose 60, you are going to win 60, the other 42 is where you figure it out." -- Jones, on when people can panic about the Orioles' slow start

UP NEXT
The O's will send Kevin Gausman to the hill on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET for the second game in Detroit, pitching against the Tigers' Matthew Boyd. Gausman picked up his first win of 2018 after scattering three runs over six innings while striking out a season-high seven vs. the Blue Jays last Wednesday.