PORT CHARLOTTE (620 WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays started off the 2018 Grapefruit League on the best note possible, sweeping both contests to start the spring with a 6-3 win at Charlotte Sports Park and defeating the Baltimore Orioles identically 6-3 at Ed Smith Stadium.
At home, Tampa Bay fell behind 1-0 on an RBI double by Austin Meadown off Vidal Nuno, but rallied for four runs in the bottom of the third, as Kevin Kiermaier delivered a two-run single and Brad Miller followed with a two-run double that gave the Rays for good.
Ryne Stanek allowed two runs, one unearned thanks to a fielding error by David Olmedo-Barrera that cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth, but Adeiny Hechaverria led off the home half of the inning with Tampa Bay's first home run of the spring, and Brett Sullivan chopped an RBI single that scored Nathan Lukes to finish the scoring.
Austin Pruitt picked up the win after finishing the second inning for Nuno and working a scoreless third. Tampa Bay also got scoreless innings of relief from Dan Runzler, Colton Murray, Cody Hall and Diego Castillo, with Edwin Fierro inducing a 9-6 double play in the ninth to finish out the game.
In Sarasota, Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the top of the first with Micah Johnson working a 12-pitch at-bat for a walk off Mike Wright Jr. Joey Wendle moved him to third with a base hit and Willy Adames' sac fly made it 1-0.
Wendle extended the lead to 2-0 as his double play grounder scored Johnny Monell.
Nick Ciuffo made it 4-0 in the seventh with an RBI single and Kevin Padlo extended the lead to 6-0 with a two-run homer off Donnie Hart an inning later.
Chance Sisco finally got the Orioles on the board in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run homer off minor-leaguer Brandon Lawson, but Jordan Harrison finished out the game to earn the save.
Tampa Bay heads to Fort Myers for the weekend, first to take on the Boston Red Sox, as Jake Faria is scheduled to make his first spring start, taking on Roenis Elias. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 12:30 with Countdown to Opening Day.