A rally seemed on the precipice. James McCann walked and Gunnar Henderson singled to open the seventh inning with the Orioles trailing the San Francisco Giants by two. The heart of Baltimore’s lineup was due up.

Then Cedric Mullins went down swinging, Anthony Santander grounded into a fielder’s choice and, after Heston Kjerstad was hit by a pitch, Colton Cowser flied out to deep left field to strand the bases loaded. It would have been a go-ahead grand slam three years ago before the wall was pushed back.

But it’s 2024, a season that’s slipping away from the Orioles with just over one week to play. A 5-3 loss to the Giants on Wednesday night is Baltimore’s third consecutive defeat, ninth in 12 games and marks their fourth straight series loss.

Starting pitcher Dean Kremer provided length and the offense had one of its highest-scoring outputs of the month, but it wasn’t enough for the Orioles (84-68), who are stacking losses and close to handing the New York Yankees the American League East title with a home wild-card series becoming less certain, too.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a specific answer right now,” Cowser said. “I think momentum is something that just kind of happens. You can’t really force it because that’s when guys start pressing and you struggle even more. I think this last month or so, I think you’ve kind of seen guys try to force it and I think it’s just something that comes natural.”

For a moment, it appeared the Orioles’ offense had a spark when they plated two runs in the third on hits from Jackson Holliday and McCann. The rookie second baseman singled, then the catcher’s double off Mike Yastrzemski’s glove at the right field wall scored Emmanuel Rivera. A groundout by Mullins brought Holliday home, and the Orioles had their first lead of the series, 2-1.

Ryan O’Hearn, who entered Wednesday batting .156 in September, hit an RBI double to left field in the sixth inning. That was the Orioles’ first and only run after the third inning, but their advantage vanished by then anyway. They finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

It would be difficult to keep this rut from becoming a mental burden on players, who are stuck in a cycle of chasing the big swing but also knowing they have to let it come naturally. That’s especially true for a clubhouse as young as the Orioles’. It’s stocked with talent that has yet to collectively plunge like this. Answers are eluding them.

“I think in this game it’s hard to not let your emotions get the best of you sometimes, but I think at this level you kind of have to try to filter yourself and allow yourself to feel those things,” Cowser said. “But then flush it right away. We’re all humans, so it’s natural to have certain responses to certain situations. I think that the important thing is being able to flush those emotions and moving on.”

The Orioles entered Wednesday with just 49 runs in 14 games this month, the fewest of any MLB team. They have the third-fewest home runs in the American League since the start of September and have scored two or fewer runs in seven of their past 12 games. Giants starter Hayden Birdsong entered with a 4.74 ERA and completed 5 2/3 innings for the first time since July 21, scattering four hits and two walks.

“I thought our at-bats were better. I thought we created more traffic,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Now we’re just waiting for some breaks offensively and a chopper to get through, something off the label to fall onto the outfield grass.”

Kremer’s outing — other than former Orioles prospect Yastrzemski’s second leadoff homer of the series — began smoothly with scoreless second and third innings. It unraveled in the fourth when the Giants scored three runs to retake the lead.

San Francisco loaded the bases with no outs and scored its first run on a dribbler back to Kremer. He scooped the ball to McCann for what appeared to be an easy out, but the catcher’s foot was off the plate in yet another critical defensive gaffe. A two-run single by Casey Schmitt brought home a pair to put the Orioles down 4-2.

“I didn’t do a good enough job of limiting damage,” Kremer said. “Balls got put in a play a little bit too hard and just out of the reach of some fielders.”

Kremer surrendered a leadoff home run to Michael Conforto in the sixth to cap his final line of five runs allowed (four earned) over six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. It’s the sixth time in his past seven outings that Kremer completed six frames and only his second time in that stretch that he didn’t post a quality start. Over that time, he’s recorded a 3.12 ERA as one of Baltimore’s most consistent starters in the second half.

Kremer is part of a staff that’s posted the third-best ERA in the AL in September. But the Orioles’ offense is lagging — and now has just 10 games left to break out.

Does Kremer think it can happen? He paused for a moment, pondered, then responded: “I hope so.”

Around the horn

Yennier Cano was unavailable for the Orioles’ series in Detroit last weekend with forearm soreness, manager Brandon Hyde said before Wednesday’s game, but is feeling better and available moving forward. The right-hander hasn’t pitched since Sept. 11.

Chayce McDermott started Wednesday for Triple-A Norfolk and didn’t allow a hit over three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. The right-hander has been on the injured list since Aug. 6 with a stress reaction in his scapula.

Danny Coulombe made his second rehabilitation appearance for the Tides on Wednesday. In a planned shortened outing, the left-hander pitched 2/3 of an inning on eight pitches before being removed.