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 Jonathan Schoop delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth
inning, and Nelson Cruz added an RBI double an inning later to give
Baltimore a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
The Orioles (75-55) stretched their American League East lead over
the Yankees to seven games as Detroit topped New York 5-2. Baltimore
certainly had to earn this one, coming from behind and outlasting
Tampa Bay (64-68) in a game that took three hours and 37 minutes.
"That was a grind-it-out win," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
"It was a slow-paced (game), and you've really got to maintain your
concentration because you know there's going to be a fine margin for
error there."
The Orioles took advantage of some crucial plays on defense and help
from the bottom third of their batting order. Baltimore threw out or
forced three runners at home plate to help struggling starter
Wei-Yin Chen.
Third baseman Chris Davis, catcher Caleb Joseph and second baseman
Schoop batted seventh, eighth and ninth and combined for three hits,
three RBIs and one run.
"It's really important every time the bottom of the lineup can
contribute and help the big guys in the front," Schoop said. "That's
the thing about it. Everybody (can) step up (any) day."
The Orioles still wasted a number of scoring chances, going just
3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine. Tampa
Bay also left nine but missed on several chances in the first few
innings against Chen.
"Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity and then nothing happens,"
Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "It's the same refrain -- inability to
score with runners in scoring position. We had great at-bats. We
just have had a hard time finishing that play up."
The Orioles also needed a big effort from their bullpen, which
allowed just one hit over 4 1/3 shutout innings to lock up their
second straight victory.
Brad Brach (5-0) got the win thanks to 1 1/3 innings of one-hit
relief in the fifth and sixth. Right-hander Tommy Hunter and
left-hander Andrew Miller took care of the next two innings, and
left-hander Zach Britton closed it for his 28th save.
Schoop lined his go-ahead single to left off right-hander Grant
Balfour (1-6) in the sixth. That scored Davis and gave the Orioles a
3-2 lead. That came after Davis made a nice bare-handed pickup and
throw home for a forceout on Jennings' tapper in the top of the
inning.
Cruz, the designated hitter, drove in first baseman Steve Pearce
with his double to deep center off right-hander Joel Peralta in the
seventh for the 4-2 edge over the Rays.
"That's kind of been the M.O. of this ballclub," Joseph said. "Pitch
well, get timely hits and play good defense."
The defense proved crucial for Baltimore in the early innings.
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Center fielder Desmond Jennings started the game with a single off
left-hander Chen and went to third on left fielder Ben Zobrist's double.
Second baseman Logan Forsythe then grounded to Davis at third. He threw
to first, and Pearce threw out Jennings at home.
Designated hitter Evan Longoria drove in Zobrist with a single to right
for a 1-0 lead. Tampa Bay threatened again in the second, but Orioles
center fielder Adam Jones threw out catcher Ryan Hanigan at the plate
after Jennings' two-out single.
Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis appeared to have drawn a walk in
the third, but the crew chief reviewed the count and ruled it to be 3-2.
Starter Alex Cobb struck out Markakis on the next pitch.
The Orioles broke through in the fourth on Joseph's two-run single with
two outs. Longoria tied it with an RBI double in the fifth that knocked
out Chen.
Chen threw 91 pitches, and Cobb also labored, throwing 92 pitches in his
four innings as the Orioles handed the Rays another tough loss.
"We've got to win," Longoria said. "We just have to continue to put
together good at-bats offensively and do whatever we can do to make
those opportunities count."
NOTES: Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he would still consider RHP
Ubaldo Jimenez for a start. Jimenez, recently moved to the bullpen after
struggling as a starter all year and battling injuries, pitched in
relief for the first time on Saturday against the Cubs and did well in a
four-inning outing. Showalter said they'll just keep looking at the
situation. ... RF Nick Markakis' two-run homer gave Baltimore the lead
for good in Monday's win and also ended an 0-for-21 streak, his longest
dry spell of this season. ... The Rays activated C Ryan Hanigan from the
15-day disabled list and optioned C Curt Casall to Class A Charlotte.
Hanigan's been out for the past 38 games due to a left oblique strain.
... Tampa Bay's protest of Saturday's loss was denied by Major League
Baseball on Tuesday. Manager Joe Maddon said he wasn't 100 percent clear
on why the protest got turned down, but he'll move on.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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