Adley Rutschman went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and Jordan Westburg was also 3-for-5 to help the Baltimore Orioles to 9-2 win against the host Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
After going perfect through five innings, Baltimore starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (7-2) allowed two runs on two hits in 2/3 of the sixth. He finished the day with six strikeouts.
Gunnar Henderson went 2-for-4 and scored three runs.
Rays starter Zack Littell (2-4) surrendered three runs on seven hits and fanned three in six innings.
Rustchman, who had six RBIs, belted a grand slam to right-center field off an 0-2 count against Phil Maton in the eighth inning.
In the seventh, Cedric Mullins led off with a triple and, after Henderson’s infield single, scored on Rutschman’s hit. Henderson came in on Ryan Mountcastle’s groundout to make it 5-2.
Rodriguez started to get into trouble in the sixth. He walked Taylor Walls to lead it off, giving Tampa Bay its first baserunner of the game. Yandy Diaz connected for the Rays’ first hit of the afternoon with a two-out single to center on the eighth pitch of the at-bat, putting runners on the corners.
Walls scored on Brandon Lowe’s single to right field on the 10th pitch he faced, cutting it to 3-1. That was the end of the outing for Rodriguez, who tossed 32 pitches in the inning.
Randy Arozarena then drove in Diaz with a single off reliever Dillon Tate to pull the Rays within one.
Anthony Santander led off the fourth with a solo shot to right-center field to put Baltimore ahead 2-0.
In the sixth, Westburg punched a two-out double and came home on the next at-bat when Colton Cowser delivered a triple for a 3-0 Orioles advantage.
The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the third. Henderson extended his hitting streak to four games with a one-out double to center field, and Rutschman followed with a fly-ball single into right to bring in Henderson.
–Field Level Media
Pedro Pages hit a decisive two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning as the host St. Louis Cardinals beat the Seattle Mariners 2-0 in a pitchers’ duel on…
On Tommy Pham’s controversial infield hit, the Kansas City Royals rallied past the visiting Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Saturday evening. The Royals (78-65) remained in second place in the American…
Willy Adames and Gary Sanchez hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, William Contreras also went deep and finished with two hits, and the host Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado…
Royals edge Twins after controversial hit, late rally
Brewers put on show of strength to beat Rockies
Mets down Reds to win ninth straight and stay in contention
Rays blow by O’s, 7-1