A Ray Of Hope
The Orioles snap a 15-game losing streak to the Rays dating back to last season & use 2 walk off wins to win the Series against Tampa Bay.
Game 1 : Orioles 8, Rays 6 (13 innings) : Roughned Odor hits a walk off 2-run blast in the 13th inning, sending Camden Yards into a frenzy as the Orioles finally beat the Rays for the first time in 15 games. Mike Zunino breaks a scoreless tie w/ a 3-run blast in the 5th inning off of O’s starter, Tyler Wells – Wells pitches into the 5th, allowing 3 runs on just 2 hits, he strikes out 4 & walks 2. The O’s score 3 times in the 7th as Tyler Nevin scores on a wild pitch by Rays reliever, Brooks Raley, the Birds get another run on a fly ball by Robinson Chirinos that LF Randy Arozarena drops, allowing Ramon Urias to score from 3rd & Chirinos scores on a single by Trey Mancini off of J.P. Feyereisen as the O’s tie the game. Brett Phillips doubles home a run in the 10th & scores on a single by Yandy Diaz off of Bryan Baker as the Rays re-take the lead but Anthony Santander ties the game again on a 2-run single in the 10th against Matt Wisler in the bottom of the inning. Kevin Kiermaier singles home the go ahead run off of Cionel Perez to put Tampa Bay ahead again but back come the O’s, as Austin Hays ties the game w/ an RBI single off of Ryan Thompson in the 11th. They would play on & Odor would walk it off w/ 2 outs off of Ralph Garza, Jr. in the 13th. Tampa Bay appears to take the lead in the 13th against Nick Vespi, making his major-league debut but Wander Franco is gunned down at the plate by LF Austin Hays on a single by Kiermaier – after review the call was overturned. Tampa Bay is still 21-2 against Baltimore since the start of last season, their 15-game winning streak was the longest active streak over a single opponent in the majors. Baltimore has now walked it off on back to back nights & finally earns their first win against Tampa Bay in 16 tries, they are now 1-3 against them this season.
Bal (16-24) TB (23-16)
WP : Vespi (1-0)
LP : Garza (0-1)
Game 2 : Rays 6, Orioles 1 – Randy Arozarena goes 3-3, homers twice, scores twice & drives in 3, Jeffrey Springs pitches 6 shutout innings & the Rays beat the Orioles to spoil the debut of Orioles #1 prospect, Adley Rutschman. Arozarena hits a 2-run shot in the 1st & a solo shot in the 4th off of O’s starter, Kyle Bradish who goes 5 1/3 innings, he allows 5 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 2 – Arozarena is hitting. 413 w/ 11 homers & 25 RBI in only 23 career games against the O’s & has 3 of his 5 multiple homer games against them as well. Ji-Man Choi adds a sac fly & Harold Ramirez grounds out to 3rd to score another run & knock Bradish from the game. Making his third start since being elevated from the bullpen, Springs allows just 1 hit in 5 2/3 innings, he strikes out a career-high 7 & walks 4 to earn the win. Rutschman goes 1-4 in his major-league debut – he triples in the 7th inning for his first career hit, tying Matt Wieters & Manny Machado as the only Oriole players to triple for their first major-league hit. Kevin Kiermaier hits a solo shot in the 8th off of Mike Baumann, he goes 3-4, batting lead off for the first time this season. Trey Mancini singles home Austin Hays in the 8th, as the Birds avoid the shutout. Tampa Bay is still 22-2 against Baltimore since the start of last season, their loss in Game 1 snapped the longest winning streak against a single opponent in club history, they outscored the Orioles 177-84 over that span. Baltimore is now 1-4 against Tampa Bay this season & 1-16 in their last 17, they have now lost 8 of their last 10.
TB (24-16) Bal (16-25)
WP : Springs (2-1)
LP : Bradish (1-3)
Game 3 : Orioles 7, Rays 6 (11 innings) – Roughned Odor walks it off for the 2nd time in 3 days as the O’s go from losing 15 in a row to taking 2 out of 3 & winning their first Series against the Rays since a 3-game sweep @ home, July 31–Aug 2, 2020. O’s starter, Spenser Watkins is hit in the arm by a sharply hit grounder off the bat of Ji-Man Choi that scores Kevin Kiermaier & knocks Watkins out of the game just 3 hitters in. Isaac Paredes hits a 3-run blast off of reliever, Joey Krehbiel to increase the lead to 4 before the Orioles even got to hit & the bullpen would be taxed all day as Baltimore uses 6 relievers. Ramon Urias singles home a run & Odor doubles in another in a 2-run 3rd against Rays starter, Cory Kluber who lasts just 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, he strikes out 2 & walks 2. Ryan Mountcastle hits a solo shot in the 5th off of Matt Wisler to pull the Birds back within 2 after Kevin Kiermaier singles home a run in the 4th for the Rays. Arozarena singles home Kiermaier in the 7th to put the Rays ahead by 3 again but a 3-run O’s 7th is capped by a 2-run single by Austin Hays off of Ryan Thompson & under a huge dark rain cloud. His 2nd RBI single off of Thompson in extra innings in 3 days. After that the rains came & game was delayed for 51 minutes by a thunderstorm. Play resumes & the teams play on & on until Odor’s grounder off of former Oriole, Dustin Knight goes under the glove of the 1B Choi & allows Rutschman to score his first major-league run in the biggest way. Tampa Bay commits 5 errors in the 3-game Series as they lose for just the 3rd time in their last 25 games against the Orioles. Baltimore leaves 16 men on base but still pulls off the win, they are 4-0 in extra innings this season & wins for just the 3rd time in their last 11 games, despite taking their first Series against Tampa Bay in almost 2 years.
Bal (17-25) TB (24-17)
WP : Perez (2-0)
LP : Knight (1-1)
Baltimore has now won 3 out of their last 4 against AL East rivals New York & Tampa Bay, all in dramatic fashion @ home & you can see this team starting to gain more & more confidence. They will now head back to the Bronx to play the Yankees again for 3 before heading to Boston for 5 games in 4 days.
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GO O’S!!
#GrowingUpFast