Shane McClanahan allowed just one run on five hits in five innings of work, Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer, and Austin Meadows and Ji-Man Choi also drove in a pair as the Tampa Bay Rays earned their 15th win in 16 games this season over the Baltimore Orioles by finishing off a four-game series sweep with a 7-2 win Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
Orioles starter Jorge Lopez found himself in trouble from the onset, as his first pitch was hit by Lowe into the right-field corner for a double, and his second hit Franco to put the 20-year-old aboard. Nelson Cruz singled to left to load the bases, and Meadows drew the first of his two bases loaded walks to make it 1-0. Choi grounded into a 6-3 double play that allowed Franco to make it 2-0.
The Rays doubled their lead in the bottom of the second, as Brett Phillips drew a two-out walk in front of Lowe, whose two-run blast to right, his team-leading 29th of the season, gave Tampa Bay a 4-0 advantage.
Lopez would leave after finishing the second, and after reliever Fernando Abad kept Tampa Bay from adding on in the third, he’d load the bases in the fourth on a base hit by Francisco Mejia and walks to Brett Phillips and Franco. Marcos Diplan was called in from the bullpen and struck out Cruz, but walked Meadows to force in another run, and Choi made it 7-0 with a two-run single.
Any thought of keeping the Orioles off the scoreboard for the afternoon disappeared in the fifth, as Ramon Urias doubled off McClanahan (8-4) leading off the inning, moved to third on a groundout by Jorge Mateo and scored on a base hit by Richie Martin.
Dietrich Enns, called back up from Triple-A Durham as infielder Jordan Luplow was placed on the injured list, pitched three shutout innings in relief, and Adam Conley allowed a solo homer to Urias with two outs in the ninth, but struck out Mateo to end the game.
The Rays 15 wins against the Orioles this season ties the franchise record for the most wins against a single opponent in a season, equaling the 2008 team that also beat the Orioles 15 times that year, going 15-3.
Tampa Bay’s lead in the American League East increases to 5 1/2 games over ne wYork, with the Yankees set to open a four-game series against Minnesota tonight in the Bronx.
The Rays welcome in the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox for a three-game series at Tropicana Field beginning Friday night, as Michael Wacha (2-4, 5.91 ERA) takes on Lucas Giolito (9-9, 3.83 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
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.
