Orioles Lose Half of Their Infield, Then Lose the Game

The Baltimore Orioles aren’t only losing games. They’re losing players, too.

Cal Ripken, bothered by a bad back, missed his fourth game of the season and Will Clark broke his thumb in the first inning as the slumping Orioles lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-0, Sunday

“I feel sick to my stomach,” Baltimore Manager Ray Miller said. “We lost the game, our first baseman and we may have lost Cal.”

Ripken, who missed his fourth game of the season, headed to Cleveland following the game to have his ailing back examined. Clark returned to Baltimore after breaking his left thumb on Willie Greene’s grounder and his status is uncertain.

“I knew he was hurt because he walked right off the field,” Miller said.

Despite a $78 million payroll, the second-highest in the major leagues behind the New York Yankees, Baltimore has the poorest record in the AL at 3-9, its worst start since losing a record 21 straight at the start of the 1988 season

“There’s well over 100 games to go so we have to stay positive,” Delino Deshields said.

Rookie Roy Halladay (2-0), who came within an out of a no-hitter on the final day of last season, allowed three hits in seven shutout innings to lead Toronto to the three-game sweep.

Halladay, starting in place of injured Joey Hamilton, retired his final 10 batters and extended his scoreless innings streak to 16 innings.

“A lot of people come in and do well at first and then kind of fall,” Halladay said. “I want to establish myself and become one of the better pitchers.”

Peter Munro finished with hitless relief, completing Baltimore’s eighth straight loss at SkyDome.

Shawn Green and Pat Kelly homered as Toronto won its fifth in a row. The Blue Jays (9-4) did not move five games over .500 last year until Aug. 30.

Juan Guzman (0-2) gave up five runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 8.36. All three of Orioles’ wins have come in games started by staff ace Mike Mussina.

“The whole team is struggling right now,” Guzman said. “But we can’t give up. I know we’re going to change.”

Carlos Delgado hit a run-scoring single in the first, and Tony Fernandez hit a two-run single in the third.

Baltimore put runners at second and third with two outs in the fourth, but shortstop Alex Gonzalez robbed Deshields of a hit with a diving grab of sharp grounder, quickly getting back on his feet and throwing to first.

Kelly and Green homered in the fifth, Green’s fourth and Kelly’s first. Kelly added a sacrifice fly in the sixth off Arthur Rhodes.