Randy Arozarena hit his first career grand slam, and Rays pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter, finishing off a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 7-1 win Sunday at Tropicana Field.
Leading 3-1 in the seventh, Travis Lakins Sr. walked Brett Phillips and allowed a base hit to Manuel Margot with both runners taking an extra base on a throwing error by Austin Hays. Lakins would be replaced by Cesar Valdez, who struck out Yandy Diaz but walked pinch-hitter Austin Meadows to load the bases. Arozarena then took a 1-1 breaking ball and knocked it into the first row in dep right-center for his ninth home run of the season and first with the bases loaded.
Both of Baltimore’s hits came off Tampa Bay opener Michael Wacha: a leadoff single by DJ Stewart in the first, and an RBI single by Pat Valaika in the second, which brought in Austin Hays, who walked to start the inning and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Freddy Galvis.
Tampa Bay evened the game in the third as Taylor Walls led off the inning against Bruce Zimmermann with a base hit. Phillips drew a walk, and Margot’s fielder’s choice moved the shortstop to third. Diaz then singled him in with a base hit to left.
The tie would be broken an inning later, with Walls driving in both Brandon Lowe and Francisco Mejia, who led off with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position on a groundout by Joey Wendle.
Josh Fleming (6-4) earned the win by pitching four hitless innings, allowing just one walk and striking out three. Matt Wisler, acquired Friday from the San Francisco Giants, made his debut with a perfect seventh, and Andrew Kittredge and Jeffrey Springs each worked a 1-2-3 inning to finish off the game.
Tampa Bay pitchers retired the final 19 hitters of the game in a row.
The win, coupled with Toronto’s 18-4 bludgeoning of the Boston Red Sox, increased the Rays’ lead in the American League East to three games.
Tampa Bay next begins a seven-game road trip in Chicago with the first of three games against the White Sox. Tyler Glasnow (5-2, 2.57 ERA) will get the start, taking on Lance Lynn (7-1, 1.23 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 8:10.
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.
