ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - -Dave Trembley was asked essentially the same question the previous night and the day before that, only it was far more difficult for him to answer Tuesday night.
So, the Orioles manager took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts and while staring at the wall in front of him, tried to sum up the misery of his team's 12-game losing streak, secured by a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
"I can't give you an answer. I've run out of things to say. I think I've been cordial, direct, upfront, dealt with it as best as we possibly can, but I really have no explanation, no excuse," said Trembley whose team now owns the longest losing streak in baseball this season and needs to win three of its final five games to avoid the third 100-loss season in franchise history.
"Unless you're on the other side, it's very difficult for me to explain to you what it's been like," he said. "Coming here and talking to you guys every night and doing the TV every night and meeting with people beforehand, and being a spokesman for the club, making sure the guys got a little bounce in the step, it's been a test that we've all endured far too long and I'm looking forward to winning tomorrow night."
After the Orioles' latest loss, featuring another punchless performance by the offense against Rays rookie Wade Davis, an ill-timed base-running gaffe by Ty Wigginton and a major league record set by Brian Roberts, Trembley held a brief meeting with his team.
He canceled batting practice before today's game, told his players to report later than usual to Tropicana Field and encouraged them to use the time to "go do something nice, go have fun, take your wife, go see a movie. Come to the ballpark and we'll win tomorrow night."
"I think you give the team respect," he said. "I think that's what you do. You respect their effort. I think you understand what everybody is going through and try to do what you can to make them comfortable and come out tomorrow and win the game."
The Orioles have not had a losing streak longer than 12 games since they dropped the first 21 games of the 1988 season. The team is mired in the third-longest losing streak in club history.
