Down a run in the ninth, Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora was thrown out tagging up on a Brian Roberts fly to right fielder Vladimir Guerrero to end Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

“It was a great throw by Guerrero to get the ball on the run,” Angels (51-31) manager Mike Scioscia said of the game ending double play. “Melvin’s got a hard slide trying to get there so it was a good play all around.”

Mora and Angels’ catcher Mike Napoli were both injured after the play, with Mora wrapping his foot after the game and Napoli injuring his left shin. The bang-bang finish was the second opportunity the Orioles (35-45) had to tie the game in the final two innings.

“We had the right people up at the right spots and we did not get the hit and we did not get the win,” said Orioles’ manager Dave Trembley. “You have to like the approach and you have to like the fact that we gave ourselves a chance to win.”

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Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie (4-2) put forth another quality start for the Orioles, including six innings of perfect pitching, but the rookie right-hander gave up two costly home runs in the fourth and again in the eighth inning.

“The one to [Mike] Napoli, that was a bad pitch and a bad location,” Guthrie said of the home run he gave up in the eighth. “Everything was working better than normal.”

Guthrie tallied seven strikeouts and only allowed four hits in the game. Guthrie displayed excellent control with 73 of his 108 pitches getting across for strikes.

Los Angeles’ starter John Lackey (11-5) had an equally impressive outing. He allowed three runs on four hits through 7.1 innings.

“With Lackey throwing the way he was, it was like a 4-2 lead was almost impossible to come back from,” Guthrie said.

Despite Lackey’s strong outing, the Orioles were able to scrape out some offense against the best team in Major League Baseball. Jay Payton led the Orioles, going 2-4 with two RBIs from his two-run blast in the second inning.

Payton’s home run after a Kevin Millar ground-rule double started the scoring off in the second and Guthrie remained perfect until the fourth when Chone Figgins extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single to left field.

Guerrero doubled Figgins in and Casey Kotchman belted his ninth home run of the year to help the Angels take a 3-2 lead. Napoli added an insurance run with his solo shot in the eighth before the Orioles threatened again in the bottom of that inning.

Mora’s ill-fated trip around the bases in the last frame came on a one out ground-rule double to right field, followed by an infield bunt single from Payton.

The Orioles travel to U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago today to play the White Sox and kick off a seven-game road trip that leads into the All-Star break.

Curve balls

» Angels LF Erick Aybar left the game in the third inning with a bruised right hand. X-rays were inconclusive; he will be re-examined Monday in Texas.

» Jay Payton’s home run was his second of the year; the other came on May 4.

» Chone Figgins has a 13-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 26 of his last 27 games.