ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This may well be the series that is looked back on late in the year as the death knell. There are plenty of games remaining, but the Orioles depart Tropicana Field on the losing end of a sweep to drop eight games below .500.

So much went well for the Orioles in Wednesday’s game. Right-hander Shane Baz produced the best start of his season upon his return to face Tampa Bay. First baseman Pete Alonso drove in two runs, one on a solo homer in the sixth, and designated hitter Samuel Basallo added a solo shot of his own to give Baltimore a two-run lead.

But that lead vanished quickly at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, who own the best record in baseball and are proving why each day. A four-run eighth inning against right-hander Anthony Nunez left the Orioles trudging back home.

This two-city road trip is one to forget — or lose sleep over.

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The Orioles lost five of six games, with two of those coming against the Washington Nationals before the Rays’ sweep. Even as the Orioles appeared poised to rescue at least one win here, things all went wrong late.

Alonso was one of three Orioles players to have homecomings Wednesday. The others were Baz, whom the Orioles traded for this winter from the Rays, and Nunez, who played college ball at the University of Tampa.

Nunez’s homecoming, however, wasn’t clean. He buckled with two outs in the eighth inning, allowing two straight hits: a single from Junior Caminero and a double from Jonathan Aranda. The double from Aranda came with runners on the corners, and both scored. It’s hard to know whether the Orioles would’ve had any chance nabbing pinch runner Oliver Dunn at the plate, but he wound up scoring with ease when center fielder Colton Cowser bobbled the ball.

Two more runs scored once right-hander Rico Garcia entered to inherit runners from Nunez. Richie Palacios singled home a fourth run to take the lead, and then he manufactured a fifth. He stole second with two outs, which prompted a throw from catcher Adley Rutschman. Second baseman Jackson Holliday cut the throw off early, but Holliday’s throw back to the plate was too high. Ryan Vilade, breaking from third, slid home.

The Orioles are now 21-29 and are in last place in the American League East.