Ryan O’Hearn had a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth inning on Saturday, helping the Baltimore Orioles rebound from squandering a five-run lead to post a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
James McCann and Jorge Mateo each hit two-run doubles and Austin Hays added an RBI double in a five-run fourth inning for the Orioles, who have won 11 of their last 14 games. Baltimore welcomed the offensive outburst after it mustered just two hits in a 3-0 setback to Tampa Bay on Friday night.
Wander Franco ripped a two-run single in the sixth inning and added a run-scoring groundout in the eighth. Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena each added an RBI single for the Rays, who have lost six of their last seven games.
Adam Frazier looped a single to left field off Pete Fairbanks (0-4) to begin the ninth inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Frazier didn’t stay there for long, however, as he scored on a single to right field by O’Hearn.
The late offense made a winner out of Cionel Perez (3-1), who struck out Brandon Lowe to end the eighth inning. Felix Bautista fanned the final two batters he faced to retire the side in order in the ninth and secure his 27th save of the season.
Baltimore ignited a big inning after loading the bases with two outs in the fourth.
McCann’s drive to left-center field off Shane McClanahan scored both Ryan Mountcastle and Gunnar Henderson to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Mateo plated a pair of runs with a double over the head of left fielder Arozarena before he came around to score on Hays’ hit to right field.
The Rays responded by putting runners in scoring position in the sixth inning before Franco brought them home with a single to center field.
Paredes’ RBI single to center field trimmed Baltimore’s lead to 5-3 in the seventh inning, and Tampa Bay forged a tie in the eighth after Franco’s RBI groundout and Arozarena’s sharp run-scoring single to left field.
–Field Level Media
