DETROIT -- ¡°Things will eventually even out.¡±

It can be a phrase of great comfort during a struggle, but one that takes on an opposite, vaguely threatening, tone when applied to the 2024 Baltimore Orioles.

Disagree? Go back and read that first line again.

For the entire second half of the season, the O¡¯s have battled to gain momentum. They¡¯ve neither won nor lost more than three consecutive games. Thanks largely to a first half during which Baltimore finished 20 games over .500 (58-38), the club still owns the top spot in the American League Wild Card race. It is also within sniffing distance of the AL East-leading Yankees, but stuck in a maddening loop of ¡°win a couple, lose a couple¡± that¡¯s kept the Orioles firmly in the postseason picture but also frustratingly unsatisfied.

On Friday night at Comerica Park, Baltimore was on the wrong end of the game of ¡°Even Steven,¡± falling, 1-0, to the Tigers in the series opener to drop to 25-27 in the second half.

The Orioles didn¡¯t reach base until the eighth inning when Adley Rutschman drew an eight-pitch leadoff walk off reliever Brant Hurter and spoiled Detroit¡¯s combined perfect game. The O¡¯s were down to their last out when Gunnar Henderson blasted a triple into the right-field corner to end the no-no.

Spoil our night, we spoil yours. Balanced right to the end.

¡°It's a credit to their pitchers; they came out and threw the ball really well,¡± Henderson said. ¡°Didn't seem to miss too much over the heart of the zone. They were attacking early and getting ahead, so, credit to them.¡±

The triple -- Henderson¡¯s seventh of the season -- ultimately went for naught when Anthony Santander struck out to end the game, but, as many things Henderson has done in his young career, it still held historical value. Friday marked just the third time in MLB since 1974 (the first season of inning-by-inning data) that a no-hitter was broken up by a triple on the 27th out or later.

St. Louis¡¯ Bernard Gilkey spoiled Frank Castillo¡¯s bid with a triple for the Cubs in 1995, and Boston¡¯s Bobby Dalbec ended the Rays¡¯ chances when he tripled to lead off the 10th in 2022.

Baltimore¡¯s lack of offense still spoiled a gem for starter Zach Eflin, who twirled 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, fanned three and scattered five hits. One of those was a solo home run, on Eflin¡¯s third pitch of the game and his first pitch to Kerry Carpenter.

Carpenter said afterward that the hung curveball was the only pitch Eflin missed against him.

"I just saw it out of his hand,¡± Carpenter said. ¡°I was not sitting curveball; it kind of just popped. He laid it in there, just missed his spot, and I took advantage of it."

Eflin locked down afterward, but his teammates couldn¡¯t muster the offense to back him.

Eflin is 5-2 with a 2.22 ERA in seven starts with the O¡¯s, who traded three prospects to the Rays on July 26 in hopes that the right-hander would do exactly what he¡¯s done for them so far.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, things continued to balance out on Friday. While Eflin, former Tiger Gregory Soto and Matt Bowman were lights out on the mound, the power was out on the Orioles¡¯ bats.

¡°We haven't played our best baseball the last couple months, whether it's injury related or not,¡± manager Brandon Hyde said. ¡°When that happens, there's frustration, and guys want to play better. It's not lack of work or mindset or anything like that, it's just, when you've been grinding for a while, you've just got to keep trying to win tonight's game and take care of tomorrow, tomorrow.¡±

It¡¯s a long season. Can¡¯t win ¡¯em all. Take it one game at a time. The O¡¯s have heard every clich¨¦ by this point, but that doesn¡¯t make what¡¯s going on any less aggravating.

The good news, Eflin was quick to remind, is that with 14 regular-season games remaining, there¡¯s still time for the O¡¯s to finally tilt the scales in their favor.

¡°The beautiful thing about 162 games is that odds are, you¡¯re going to have another one the next day,¡± he said. ¡°Sun¡¯s going to come up tomorrow, and we¡¯re going to be prepared for it.¡±