|
 The Baltimore designated hitter knocked in all of his team's runs
Sunday, giving the Orioles the lead with a three-run triple in the
ninth inning and then hitting a decisive two-run homer in the 11th
as the American League East leaders came back for a 7-5 win at
Tropicana Field.
Cruz finished 4-for-5 with seven RBIs, two homers and a triple. His
major-league-leading 39th homer of the season off reliever Cesar
Ramos came on the first pitch he saw in the 11th, just as his
three-run triple in the ninth off Joel Peralta had. Cruz improved
his RBI total to 101, which ranks third in the majors.
"I was thinking of something I can drive," Cruz said of swinging at
first pitches. "Maybe I can hit it to the gap so we can score. It's
one of those wild games. You just try to go out there and do your
best."
After salvaging the final game of the three-game series, Baltimore
(83-59) leads the New York Yankees by 9 1/2 games in the AL East.
The Orioles snapped a five-game road losing streak. Even though they
dropped the series, they have won 10 of their past 14 games.
Tampa Bay (69-75) lost much of the momentum gained while thoroughly
containing the division leaders Friday and Saturday. The Rays are
8-14 since returning to the .500 mark on Aug. 15.
Baltimore used seven relievers, Tampa Bay five. Orioles left-hander
Andrew Miller struck out three in the bottom of the 11th to record
his first career save.
The four-hour, 36-minute game ended oddly, with second baseman Logan
Forsythe striking out swinging on a pitch that hit him and rolled to
the backstop. By rule, the ball is dead and batter out, but Forsythe
ran to first, bringing manager Joe Maddon from the dugout as the
Orioles protested.
"It's unfortunate. It's weird," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "But
what hasn't been weird this year?"
Brad Brach (6-1) pitched one scoreless inning for the win. Ramos
(2-6) allowed two runs on a hit with two walks and four strikeouts
in 2 2/3 innings.
"It was a fastball that was not as down as I wanted," Ramos said of
the ball Cruz hit for his 11th-inning homer. "In the big leagues,
you can't be doing that, and I paid for the mistake."
Tampa Bay appeared to be cruising to a sweep entering the ninth, as
three relievers limited the high-powered Orioles to just one hit
following the departure of starter Jeremy Hellickson. However,
Peralta, attempting to record his second save of the year, allowed
consecutive singles to shortstop Ryan Flaherty and pinch hitters
Jimmy Parades and Adam Jones before Cruz defied a defensive shift by
shooting a ball down the right field line for a three-run triple.
Cruz is the first player with at least seven RBIs to account for all
of his team's runs since the Colorado Rockies' Jason Giambi on May
19, 2011.
Peralta allowed three runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.
He escaped a loss when Tampa Bay rallied immediately in the bottom
of the ninth, tying the game with an unearned run. Flaherty's errant
heave to first on a grounder by leadoff hitter Evan Longoria
preceded a single by first baseman James Loney off closer Zach
Britton. Left fielder Brandon Guyer advanced both with a bunt, and
pinch hitter Sean Rodriguez grounded out to tie the game 5-5.
[to top of second column]
|
Britton was charged with an unearned run on a hit and a walk in one
inning.
The Rays seemed poised to beat the Orioles at their own game, using four
solo homers to lead 4-2 through six innings.
Longoria, Loney, designated hitter David DeJesus and center fielder Kevin
Kiermaier each connected off right-hander Bud Norris. Tampa Bay has just
100 homers this season, which ranks 26th of 30 big-league teams in the
category.
Hellickson left with a 3-2 lead, but he remains winless in his past 11
starts at Tropicana Field, dating to July 2013. He allowed two runs on
four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Norris allowed four runs on eight hits -- four of them solo home runs --
and two walks with four strikeouts in six innings.
In the fourth inning, designated hitter David DeJesus hit a bizarre
inside-the-ballpark homer that upped the Rays' lead to 3-0. With two
outs, he lined a shot that left fielder Alejandro De Aza caught at full
stride before colliding with center fielder David Lough in the gap. De
Aza's arm whipped around Lough's body as they glanced off each other,
slinging the ball into the far-off left-field corner. DeJesus chugged
home for his fifth homer of the season and the fourth inside-the-park
home run of his career.
"It was almost like it was in slow motion," Orioles manager Buck
Showalter said. "I was afraid they were going to run together. The heck
with what happened after the fact. I was more concerned with their
safety."
NOTES: Baltimore used 23 players, its highest total since Sept. 14,
1960, when it used the same number against the Detroit Tigers. ... CF
Desmond Jennings, who missed his 10th consecutive game with left knee
soreness, is unlikely to play again this season, Rays manager Joe Maddon
said. Jennings hurt the knee with a foul ball before the All-Star break,
and an MRI confirmed a bruise. ... The Rays won their first home series
since July 28-30 against Milwaukee. ... RHP Darren O'Day overcame a
hamstring ailing, and he pitched one-third of an inning. ... The Orioles
signed Cuban RHP Lazaro Leyva to an international free agent contract,
according to CBS Sports. The deal, according to the website, is pending
a physical and age verification. ... Rays RH David DeJesus is tied with
Philadelphia SS Jimmy Rollins for the inside-the-park homer lead among
active players, each with four.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
