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Hamilton makes a run toward Reds' record book in Baltimore

Sep 3, 2014 - 2:57 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Billy Hamilton has run himself into Cincinnati's record book, but he probably won't be able to dash the Reds into the playoffs.

The Reds try to avoid a series loss on Wednesday evening in the middle contest of a three-game series with the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles.

Hamilton set a Reds rookie record with his 55th steal of the season, breaking Bob Bescher's previous mark set in 1909.

Despite Hamilton's two hits, the Reds were unable to overcome rain and a slow start, falling 5-4 to Baltimore.

The Orioles plated four runs in the first inning and then saw Jonathan Schoop hit a solo homer in the second inning that ended up being the deciding run after the Reds' Jay Bruce connected on a grand slam in the eighth inning.

That came off Baltimore's bullpen after starter Bud Norris held Cincinnati off the board for six innings, scattering four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts to get the win.

"That was pretty impressive," O's manager Buck Showalter said of Norris.

While the Orioles lead the AL East by 9 1/2 games over the New York Yankees thanks to a seventh victory in nine games, the Reds lost for third time in four contests and trail the National League's second wild card spot by seven games.

Mat Latos (5-4) allowed five runs on 10 hits over five innings to take the loss in a rain-soaked outing. The first pitch was delayed for nearly a half hour due to weather and the game was then halted for an hour and 46 minutes during the second batter.

"I felt really good coming out of the pen. Mother Nature must have snuck up on us again. It's the second time this has happened to me in two away games," Latos said of pitching following a rain delay.

Getting the start for Baltimore will be Miguel Gonzalez, who is coming off a 9-1 win over Minnesota last time out on Friday. He held the Twins to a run on four hits and a walk in seven innings of work, striking out six in his longest start in five outings.

The 30-year-old righty is 7-7 with a 3.61 earned run average on the year and will face the Reds for the first time.

Dylan Axelrod is set to make his third start of the season for the Reds and will face the Orioles for the second time. The 29-year-old picked up a victory while with the Chicago White Sox back on Aug. 29, 2012, holding Baltimore to a run on three hits and four walks over 7 1/3 frames.

Axelrod made his season and Reds debut on Aug. 17 at Colorado and did not factor into a 10-5 loss, giving up a pair of runs -- both on solo homers -- over six innings. The righty then found the win column on Thursday versus the Chicago Cubs, hurling five scoreless frames of two-hit ball and striking out eight.

These two franchises came into this series having split six previous regular- season meetings. The Reds won two of three in Cincinnati during the 2005 campaign, while the Orioles took two of three at home in 2011.