It wasn’t pretty, but the Tampa Bay Rays got what they needed to take down Baltimore on Saturday night. The Rays now have a league-best 41 wins, sitting two games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East.
Pitching
Rich Hill had a rare, poor outing and did not factor in the decision against Baltimore on Saturday. Hill pitched 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five. The left-hander came into the contest having yielded two or fewer runs in eight straight outings, but that streak came to an end when Austin Wynns hit a grand slam in the fifth inning.
For the Orioles, Jorge Lopez took the mound. Lopez (2-7) took the loss against Tampa Bay on Saturday, completing 4.2 innings and allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out eight. However, Lopez tied a season-high with eight strikeouts. The right-hander entered the contest with four straight appearances of at least five innings and three or fewer runs, but both streaks came to an end in the loss.
Offense
The Rays got an early spark in the first inning, scoring three runs with scarcely a hard-hit ball. Joey Wendle, Manuel Margot and Kevin Kiermaier all had big hits with each of them driving in a run. Tampa Bay got their last two runs in the fourth when Lowe doubled to left field, scoring Brett Philips and Mike Zunino. On the other hand, the Orioles scored four runs, but it was on only one hit. Austin Wynns went 1-for-3 with a grand slam in Saturday’s loss to the Rays.
Up Next
Michael Wacha will take the ball for Tampa Bay, going up against Bruce Zimmerman of Baltimore on Sunday.