BALTIMORE -- The Rays got everything they needed Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.
A spectacular start from Nick Martinez. A two-out rally fueled by three two-strike hits from the top of their lineup. Nine big outs from their bullpen. A break from a rough stretch in which they lost seven of their past nine games and three straight series.
And above all, a win.
Martinez shut down the Orioles for six innings, and the Rays finally broke through with a three-run sixth inning that proved to be enough in a 3-1 victory in the series finale. Tampa Bay avoided a three-game sweep and has a three-game lead in the American League East before heading to Detroit.
The Orioles had won eight of their past nine matchups against the Rays entering Sunday’s game, and they got a strong start from former Ray Shane Baz in the finale. Baz breezed into the sixth inning having allowed only two hits, both singles that were erased on the basepaths, and two walks.
But Martinez was even better as he retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced. The right-hander permitted just one hit, a one-out double by Colton Cowser in the third inning, and struck out four in the Rays’ first quality start since Ian Seymour allowed three runs in six innings on Aug. 15.
Martinez has been the Rays’ steady veteran presence all season, and he preached positivity and perspective throughout the club’s recent slide. He shared part of his message to the team on Saturday afternoon.
“At this time of year, and looking at our schedule, we're facing a lot of guys whose backs are up against the wall, right?” he said. “They have to win every game for them to make it to the playoffs, so we’ve just got to match the energy, bring the energy and keep playing to win ballgames.
“Keep doing what the game's asking us to do and playing our style, and things will turn around. Obviously you want to be winning every game you can, but the most important games are still in front of us.”
With Martinez dealing, the Rays just needed one rally at the plate. They got it in the sixth.
With two outs, Yandy Díaz slapped a two-strike single to right field and hustled to third on another hit by Jonathan Aranda. With Junior Caminero batting, Baz bounced a two-strike curveball in the other batter’s box that caromed off catcher Samuel Basallo’s mask and rolled away. Díaz dashed home to score the game’s first run.
Aranda advanced to second base on the wild pitch, putting him in position to score when Caminero pushed a single into center field. After Liam Hicks worked a walk, the fourth straight batter to reach against Baz, Chandler Simpson smacked another two-out, two-strike single to center off lefty reliever Grant Wolfram.
Martinez delivered a shutdown inning after that, and the bullpen took it from there. Cam Booser pitched a clean seventh, with help from a diving grab by Jonny DeLuca, then Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker bounced back from Saturday’s frustrating finish by handling the eighth and ninth.