The Sports Xchange
Jun 24, 2017
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Baltimore finally held a team to fewer than five runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen helped the Orioles to an 8-3 win on Saturday at Tropicana Field.
The Rays (40-37) had bounced back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game, but the Orioles (36-38) rallied with two outs in the seventh for four runs to break open a tie game.
Tampa Bay reliever Jumbo Diaz was a strike away from getting out of what had been a two-on, no-out jam, but that strike didn't come. Instead, Mark Trumbo hit a two-run double for a 5-3 lead, and the next pitch was a two-run home run by Trey Mancini, his 13th, putting the Orioles up 7-3.
The loss went to reliever Jose Alvarado (0-3), who faced a single batter to open the seventh and walked him, setting up what would be the go-ahead run.
Baltimore had allowed at least five runs in 20 straight games, the first time any major league team has done that since the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies, but that streak ended thanks to seven solid innings from Dylan Bundy (8-6).
The Orioles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning off Rays rookie Jake Faria, who had allowed a total of three earned runs in his first three major league starts. Faria hit Mancini and gave up a two-run home run to Welington Castillo, his eighth of the season.
Baltimore added a solo home run in the third from Adam Jones, his 13th -- it bounced off the top of the wall in straightaway center, just above the reach of a leaping Mallex Smith.
Tampa Bay needed just two pitches to tie it up in the bottom of the third. After a two-out walk to Smith, Corey Dickerson hit a two-run home run down the right-field line -- his 17th -- and Evan Longoria hit the next pitch for a solo shot, his 11th, tying the game at 3-3.
The Rays have gone back-to-back 10 times this season, the most in the majors and now already a team season record less than halfway through the year.
Faria had his fourth straight quality start to open his career, giving up three runs in six innings on five hits, but failed to earn the win for the first time.
Bundy was also sharp, pitching seven innings and holding the Rays to five hits and three runs.
NOTES: The Rays made a long-awaited move at catcher, activating C Wilson Ramos from the 60-day disabled list and designating C Derek Norris for assignment. Ramos, recovering from ACL surgery last year, made his Rays debut batting sixth but went 0-for-3. ... Rays SS Matt Duffy, who hasn't played this season as he recovers from Achilles surgery, had a calcium deposit removed from his left heel Wednesday. He'll resume baseball activities as soon as the stitches heal. ... After needing extended bullpen work in Friday's loss, the Orioles recalled RHP Stefan Crichton from Triple-A Norfolk. RHP Miguel Castro, who pitched Friday, was optioned to Double-A Bowie to make room.