ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Ramon Hernandez’s RBI double highlighted a four-run fifth inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat Tampa Bay 5-4 on Tuesday night, the Devil Rays’ season-high ninth straight loss.

Nick Markakis and Jay Gibbons had RBI singles to tie it at 3 before Hernandez matched Baltimore’s team record for RBIs by a catcher. Chris Hoile had 82 in 1993.

David Newhan walked with the bases loaded later in the inning to make it 5-3.

Adam Loewen (6-5) allowed four runs and six hits over six innings. Chris Britton pitched the ninth for his first career save.

Jorge Cantu hit a solo homer during a three-run second that put the Devil Rays ahead 3-0. Loewen had faced 216 batters – since Cantu hit a grand slam on July 21 – without allowing a homer.

B.J. Upton had an infield RBI single and Ben Zobrist hit a run-scoring triple in the second for the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay has lost 56 times after taking a lead, one from the AL record set by Detroit in 2002.

Damon Hollins got Tampa Bay within 5-4 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Baltimore loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but scored just one run when Chris Gomez extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI single.

Rookie Jason Hammel (0-4) gave up five runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings. Three of his losses have been to Baltimore.

Tampa Bay first baseman Ty Wigginton appeared to lose count of the outs in the second. With Gibbons on first and two outs, Corey Patterson hit a grounder near the base. Instead of taking the easy out at first, Wigginton threw the ball to Zobrist at second for the inning-ending out.

After Zobrist made an unnecessary late return to throw to first, several of the Devil Rays briefly remained on the field until realizing the inning was over.

Notes: A moment of silence was held for former baseball executive Syd Thrift, who died Monday night. … Hernandez has four RBIs as a DH. … Baltimore C Chris Widger (right shoulder pinched nerve) could miss the rest of the season. … Tampa Bay pitching coach Mike Butcher was ejected in the fifth while arguing a balk call. … Devil Rays rookie RF Delmon Young went 0-for-4 and had his 12-game hitting streak ended.

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