BALTIMORE, Maryland May 8, 2014 - Jonathan Schoop belted a two-run home run in the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie, and Tommy Hunter pitched out of serious trouble in the bottom of the ninth to help the Orioles beat back the homestanding Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, Wednesday night in Tampa. It was Baltimore's second victory in Tampa in two games this series, with the third game coming up tonight at 7:10 pm, with Ubaldo Jimenez, 1-4 but coming off a superb performance in an Oriole win over the Twins last Friday, scheduled to go against the Rays' David Price, 3-2. In addition, the Orioles improved to 4-0 against the Rays on the season.
Adam Jones homered twice, first in the second inning and then, again, in the fourth, as the Birds broke on top, 2-0. Bud Norris kept the Rays off the board until the fifth inning when David DeJesus led off with his third home run of the season. Tampa Bay tied the game in the sixth inning on pinch hitter Sean Rodriguez' two out single up the middle. On the play, Wil Myers raced from first to third and Rodriguez took second when Jones threw wildly to home in an attempt to get James Loney, who scored the run. Buck Showalter, the Oriole Manager, pulled Brian Matusz after the Rodriguez hit, and Ryan Webb ended the threat by getting Yunei Escobar to ground out. Webb stayed on and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. He benefitted from the Schoop blast and earned his first Oriole victory to improve to 1-0.
Cesar Ramos started for Tampa, but he was long gone when the Orioles came to bat in the seventh. Brandon Gomes was on for the Rays, and he retired the first two hitters without any sign of trouble. Suddenly, with two outs, Steve Pearce whacked a single and up came Schoop. Gomes pushed ahead on the count, 0-2, but Schoop jumped on an inside fastball and jacked it into the seats in right field for his third home run and 11th and 12th runs batted in. Zach Britton, proving to be Mr. Dependable this season, pitched a scoreless 8th inning and Showalter then summonsed closer Tommy Hunter to start the ninth. It was a plucky decision because Hunter had pitched one night prior. The Rays wasted no time in getting a rally started. Wil Myers smashed a double to start the Rays' ninth. After Hunter struck out Rodriguez, Escobar smashed a hard single to center. Down by two runs, Myers stopped at third. Ryan Hanigan followed with a single that scored Myers and sent pinch runner Logan Forsythe from first to third. It was now 4-3, and the dangerous clutch-hitter, Ben Zobrist was up. Hunter made one of the best pitches of the season to get Zobrist on a weak looping pop to J.J. Hardy, loping behind second base. All runners had to hold. Hunter had set Zobrist up by moving in and out on earlier pitches in the count. The important pitch bore in on Zobrist, who tried to tuck his elbows, but was unable to do so effectively with the 96 miles per hour fast ball ripping in on him. Hunter then got out of the inning altogether when Desmond Jennings hit a line drive straight back up the middle about ten inches off of the ground. Hunter snared it as he followed through on his delivery.
In other American League East games on Wednesday, the New York Yankees clubbed the Los Angeles Angels, 9=2 on the West Coast, the Boston Red Sox downed the Cincinatti Reds, 4-3 in Fenway Park, and the Toronto Blue Jays smashed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-0, for their fourth straight victory.
With both Matt Wieters and Chris Davis out of the line-up (Wieters was the DH on Tuesday but was forced to sit out this game with an elbow problem), the Orioles are happy as a lark to have won the first two games in the series. Here are the up-to-the-minute standings:
American League East
1, Baltimore Orioles: 17 wins, 14 losses, .548 pct
2. New York Yankees: 18 wins, 15 losses, .545 pct
3. Boston Red Sox: 17 wins, 17 losses, .500 pct, 1.5 games behind
3. Toronto Blue Jays: 17 wins, 17 losses, .500 pct, 1.5 games behind
5. Tampa Bay Rays: 15 wins, 19 losses, .441 pct, 3.5 games behind
American League East Schedule for May 8, 2014
Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays, 7:10 pm EDT
New York Yankees are idle today and open a series in Milwaukee against the Brewers on Friday
Boston Red Sox are also idle today; they open a series in Texas against the Rangers on Friday
Toronto Blue Jays at Philadelphia Phillies, 7:07 pm EDT
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