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 With a grand slam and a large early lead at stake, the Baltimore
Orioles manager took a chance on a video challenge. The decision
paid off.
Davis was awarded a grand slam, and Steve Pearce added a two-run
shot that proved decisive as the Baltimore Orioles downed the Tampa
Bay Rays 7-5 Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
"The way things kind of echo here, you can hear it," Showalter said.
"We have things in place to get it right."
Baltimore (36-34) improved to 6-1 this season against the Rays
(28-44), who had won four of their previous five games overall. The
Rays out-hit the Orioles 11-8 and stranded eight base runners. In
the first two games of the three-game series, nine of the Orioles'
11 runs came on four homers. Tampa Bay won 5-4 Monday.
Davis' second career grand slam gave the Orioles a 5-0 lead in the
third inning against Rays starter Erik Bedard.
Baltimore exploited the left-hander's wildness in the inning. Two
singles and a walk loaded the bases, and a wild pitch produced the
first run. After hitting center fielder Adam Jones on the ankle to
load the bases with one out, Bedard got ahead of Davis 0-2, but the
left-handed first baseman sliced his 12th homer of the season low
off the left field foul pole.
The hit was initially ruled a double but was corrected via video
replay.
"I lucked out, to be honest with you," Davis said. "I was hoping it
would be fair and deep enough that we could at least get one run in,
but when I saw Buck go out there, I figured he was probably
challenging whether it hit off the pole or not."
DeJesus crashed hard into the wall chasing the angling drive, but he
recovered to remain in the game. He didn't see the wall running
perpendicular to the odd corner configuration.
"I was going to catch it right at the pole, so there was no way," he
said. "I don't want to do that again, so I hope he doesn't hit it
there anymore."
Tampa Bay closed within 5-4 in the fifth before designated hitter
Pearce (2-for-3) blasted a two-run homer -- his fifth -- off a
catwalk in left field against reliever Brad Boxberger for a 7-4
lead. Rookie Caleb Joseph, who assumed the catching duties with
two-time All-Star Matt Wieters undergoing Tommy John surgery
Tuesday, led off with a shot to right that Matt Joyce misplayed into
a double.
The Rays, suddenly scoring runs in bunches after being shut out
three straight games last week, responded again in the eighth with a
run off right-hander Brian Matusz, but Darren O'Day entered to end
the threat with the tying runs aboard after a sacrifice fly by
shortstop Yunel Escobar. Second baseman Ben Zobrist, who led off
with a double and advanced on an infield single by pinch hitter
Logan Forsythe, scored to trim cut the deficit to 7-5.
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Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez, returning to the rotation after a
short stint on the disabled list, allowed four runs on eight hits
with two walks and five strikeouts. Gonzalez (4-4) allowed three
earned runs or fewer in each of his nine previous starts.
Bedard (3-5) lasted four innings or fewer for the fifth time this
season, tied for the major league lead. He allowed five runs on four
hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four-plus innings.
"Bedard had a tough day and, you know, (Boxberger) just made one
mistake," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Tampa Bay got solo homers from third baseman Sean Rodriguez (No. 7)
and center fielder Desmond Jennings (No. 6) off Gonzalez in the
bottom of the third, then trimmed the deficit to 5-4 in the fifth on
a two-run double by first baseman James Loney.
Joyce (2-for-4) began the fifth-inning rally with a double, and
designated hitter Evan Longoria followed by hustling out an infield
single. After Showalter lost a challenge on Longoria's hit, Loney
sliced a shot into the corner, giving him a team-leading 33 RBIs.
NOTES: The Orioles lead the majors with 23 homers in June. ... Rays
3B Evan Longoria was given a partial day off, as he played
designated hitter. Manager Joe Maddon said the fact that LHP Erik
Bedard, who allows a high percentage of fly balls, was pitching
solidified the decision. ... The Rays undertook a 45-minute
fundamentals drill before normal pregame preparations, working on
bunt defenses, double plays and outfield plays at the wall.
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