BALTIMORE — Luke Raley hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, and Tampa Bay’s remarkable bullpen retired everyone it faced in the Rays’ 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night in the opener of a huge series at Camden Yards.
The Rays pulled within a game of first-place Baltimore in the AL East, and their relievers extended their streak to 34 innings without an earned run.
Ryan O’Hearn and Gunnar Henderson homered for the Orioles, but with the game tied at 3, Raley hit a drive to center field off Kyle Bradish (11-7) for his 19th home run of the year.
Randy Arozarena hit a two-run triple in the third for the Rays, and Tampa Bay starter Aaron Civale got Adley Rutschman to hit into a crucial double play in the fifth after the Orioles had come back to tie it at 3.
After that, Civale turned the game over to the bullpen. Colin Poche (12-3), Shawn Armstrong, Robert Stephenson and Pete Fairbanks teamed up to retire 12 straight batters, with Fairbanks striking out the side for his 24th save in 26 chances.
Cedric Mullins made a terrific diving catch in the gap in right-center on a ball that might have scored a run in the top of the second. Then O’Hearn led off the bottom of the inning with a homer that put the Orioles up 1-0.
Tampa Bay answered immediately. Third baseman Jordan Westburg couldn’t handle Raley’s leadoff grounder, and that infield single started a three-run rally. Brandon Lowe hit an RBI single, and Arozarena followed with a two-run triple.
Henderson hit a leadoff homer in the fourth, and then the Orioles tied it in the fifth without hitting the ball out of the infield.
Mullins led off with a bunt single when the ball rolled dead on the dirt about halfway to third base, fair by inches. After a walk by Aaron Hicks, Westburg popped up a bunt, but the ball fell between Civale and catcher Christian Bethancourt for a single to load the bases.
Adam Frazier tied it by grounding into a force play, but Civale then escaped the inning when Rutschman grounded into a double play on the first pitch.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: Tampa Bay activated OF Manuel Margot (elbow) from the injured list. He did not play.
Orioles: Manager Brandon Hyde said 1B Ryan Mountcastle (shoulder) was feeling better after leaving Wednesday night’s game, but he didn’t play Thursday.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay sends RHP Zach Eflin (14-8) to the mound Friday night against Baltimore’s Jack Flaherty (8-8). The Orioles will hold a pregame celebration when OF Adam Jones officially retires from pro baseball.
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