Dylan Beavers made the biggest swing of the night without ever starting the game.
Baltimore’s pinch-hitter came through with a two-run single in the seventh inning Friday, breaking a tie and sending the Orioles on their way to a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. The win ended Tampa Bay’s nine-game streak and gave Baltimore a jolt behind home runs from Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser.
Beavers stepped in against reliever Kevin Kelly and lined a single to right with the bases loaded, pushing the Orioles in front 4-2. Henderson added breathing room in the eighth with a two-run homer off Chris Roycroft, and that turned out to be crucial once the Rays made one last push in the ninth.
Cam Sanders recorded the final out after Tampa Bay scored three times in the final inning, locking down his second save. Josh Walker picked up the win after getting two outs in relief, while Garrett Cleavinger took the loss for Tampa Bay.
Baltimore also got a solid return from Chris Bassit, who was activated off the 60-day IL before the game and worked 5 1/3 innings in his first appearance since June 3. He gave up two runs and five hits.
Cowser helped set the tone early, opening the third inning with a homer to right-center that put Baltimore ahead 2-1.
Tampa Bay answered in the third and got a break from a rare ABS challenge sequence. Junior Caminero was on first with a full-count pitch to Liam Hicks that was initially ruled ball four. Orioles catcher Carlos Narváez challenged the call, and it was overturned to strike three for the second out of the inning.
Caminero was first sent back to first, then awarded second on a stolen base before Victor Mesa Jr. followed with an RBI single.
The Rays used six relievers behind opener Steven Matz and came home after a 9-0 road trip still holding a 6 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.
In Other News...
Rays Shake Up Pitching Plan Again For Orioles Series
The Rays kept reshuffling their pitching mix ahead of the Orioles series, bringing back right-hander Joe Boyle from Triple-A Durham after another round of roster movement. Boyle has already made three starts for Tampa Bay this year, but his latest return is expected to come in relief, giving the club another power arm to deploy in the middle innings as it tries to navigate a busy stretch.
To make room, right-hander Chris Roycroft was optioned to Durham, and Trevor Martin was claimed off waivers by the Angels. It is the kind of in-season churn that has become familiar for a Rays staff built on flexibility, with the club continuing to adjust as it tries to line up the right arms for a series that can quickly test a pitching plan. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Are Already Trying To Fix Freddy Peralta Fast
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The club is not treating this as a wait-and-see situation, which is familiar territory for a Rays pitching staff that tends to react fast when something looks off. Peraltas stuff still gives Tampa Bay a reason to believe there is more in there, but the early returns have pushed the organization to start tinkering immediately, with the hope that a few sharp changes can turn a deadline addition into a real rotation answer before the season moves much farther along. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Add A Young Arm With Something To Prove
Trevor Martins brief run through the Rays organization took another turn this week, with the Angels claiming the right-hander off waivers and sending him to Triple-A Salt Lake. Martin had reached the majors with Tampa Bay earlier this year, a notable step for a pitcher still trying to establish himself, before the Rays designated him for assignment and opened the door for another club to take a look.
For the Rays, it is another reminder of how quickly young arms can move around when roster pressure sets in and a team has to make room. For Martin, it is a chance to keep building after a big-league debut and continue working his way toward another shot, this time in a new organization that had the flexibility to add him without any corresponding roster move. [Read more 🡒]