Baltimore’s bats tallied four runs off Zach Eflin in Sox inning, while the Orioles pitchers held Tampa Bay to just a pair of solo homers, as the Rays dropped the middle game of their three-game series 4-2 at Camden Yards.
The Rays got out to an early 1-0 lead as Wander Franco blasted a solo homer to center, his seventh of the year.
But Baltimore drew even in the third as Gunnar Henderson led off with a triple off Eflin and scored on a groundout by Jorge Mateo. Cedric Mullins would keep the inning going with a two-out double, and Adley Rutschman followed with a two-run homer to right to take the lead.
Austin Hays pushed the deficit up to 4-1 an inning later, following a base hit by Ryan Mountcastle and a walk to Adam Frazier by singling in Mountcastle.
Taylor Walls cut the deficit back to 4-2 in the sixth with a solo homer of his own, but Baltimore would keep the Rays from getting any closer.
Tampa Bay can still take the series with a win in Wednesday’s finale. Jalen Beeks (1-2, 6.75 ERA) will open against Dean Kremer (3-1, 5.80 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
