ST. PETERSBURG -- At this point, it’s probably wise to never count these Rays out of a game. They just keep finding ways to win.
Down by two runs with two outs in the eighth, the Rays stormed back with a four-run rally and completed their MLB-leading sixth sweep of the season with a 5-3 victory against the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
The Rays have won four games in a row, eight of their last 10 and 21 of 25, improving their MLB-best record to 33-15 heading into a weekend series at Yankee Stadium.
With two outs and speedster Chandler Simpson on first base in the eighth, Junior Caminero ripped a full-count sinker from Anthony Nunez to right field, and Simpson hustled to third. In came Oliver Dunn, acquired on Tuesday night and called up Wednesday morning, to pinch-run for Caminero at first. And up came Jonathan Aranda, the American League leader in RBIs.
Aranda reached down for a two-strike changeup and laced it to right-center for a game-tying, two-run double. But the rally wasn’t over.
Ryan Vilade worked a walk, then Richie Palacios swatted an RBI single to right field. With Jonny DeLuca at the plate, Palacios took off for second, and Vilade hustled home on a delayed double-steal to cap the four-run frame.
The Rays’ only offense against former teammate Shane Baz came in the second inning, when Hunter Feduccia launched a first-pitch fastball out to center field for the first home run of his Major League career.
Left-hander Steven Matz made an effective return to the rotation, allowing just one run over four innings. The Orioles tied the game in the third on a walk, a single and another base hit by Pete Alonso, and right fielder Jonny DeLuca made sure it remained a 1-1 game by making a spectacular diving catch on a fly ball off the bat of Tyler O’Neill.
But the Orioles pulled ahead in the sixth against right-hander Jesse Scholtens, who came on in bulk-inning relief of Matz. Alonso, the Tampa native, blasted a 2-0 fastball out to right field to lead off the sixth. One batter later, catcher Samuel Basallo pulled a 2-0 splitter into the right-field seats.