Game recap Orioles 2, Rays 1
Trumbo's homer is the difference
A weekend full of so-called productive outs from the Orioles — sacrifice flies, well-placed ground balls and sacrifice bunts — was cut short when it mattered most.
The Orioles win when their big boys swing hard and connect, and that's what salvaged a series split with the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards on Sunday.
The Orioles won, 2-1, when right fielder Mark Trumbo, back in the lineup after two days out with back spasms, hit a homer for the go-ahead run in the eighth inning before an announced 28,427.
“I can't tell you how proud I am every day looking out there and seeing them fight through it and being there for each other,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It's a close group. It killed Trum not to play the last two days. Obviously, he had a big day for us today.”
Two innings earlier, third baseman Manny Machado hit a drive out to center field to tie the game, his career-high 36th of the season.
The Orioles got four scoreless innings from beleaguered starter Wade Miley, but he left before the fifth inning. Miley was dealing with an upper-back strain and didn't make it past his warmup throws.
Right-hander Darren O'Day, fresh off the disabled list from a right rotator cuff strain, allowed a home run on the first pitch he threw in relief of Miley to open the fifth inning, but the Orioles shut the door after that.
From O'Day to closer Zach Britton, who recorded his 45th save in 45 tries, the bullpen allowed just one run on five hits, with eight strikeouts in five innings.
“The bullpen came in and did an outstanding job of shutting the door after that,” Miley said. “O'Day made a pretty good pitch that [Corey] Dickerson hit out, a sinker, down and away. Other than that, it was a lockdown job by our bullpen.”
With the win, the Orioles improved to 82-67 but would have to wait for the result of Sunday night's late game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees to know their division deficit when Boston comes to town tonight.
Odorizzi good for a change: For years, Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi has been far better against the rest of the league than against the Orioles. He entered the day 3-4 with a 5.48 ERA all time against the Orioles, far above his career 3.78.
On Sunday, he showed what he does to every other team, pitching six innings of five-hit, one-run ball with three strikeouts.
The Rays (64-85) announced an ignominious distinction after his winless start: He has set a major league record with 12 no-decisions while allowing two earned runs or fewer.
Bullpen's big day: It started poorly, with O'Day's first pitch resulting in the home run by Dickerson, but the Orioles had all their top pitchers available out of the bullpen Sunday, and it showed.
O'Day allowed just the one run, and left-hander Donnie Hart pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam with a double play in the sixth inning. Right-hander Mychal Givens pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts, and right-hander Brad Brach (10-3) did the same in the eighth before Britton handled the ninth.
Showalter had used only Givens in a tight game Saturday, and him for only one batter, giving the Orioles manager flexibility Sunday.
Joseph's wait continues: With an 0-for-2 performance, catcher Caleb Joseph has 126 at-bats and 135 plate appearances without an RBI this season.
He did, however, lay down a successful sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second base and no outs in the seventh. With the chance to break the game open, center fielder Adam Jones and pinch hitter Drew Stubbs each struck out, Jones swinging and Stubbs looking.
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