The Tampa Bay Rays move to fourteen games over the five hundred mark as they sweep the Baltimore Orioles with a 8-3 win on Sunday at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay scoring five runs in the very first inning was the difference as Yonny Chirinos pitches 6 1/3 innings in relief to hand the Orioles their 102nd loss of the season.
CJ Cron got things going for Tampa Bay in the first with an RBI double scoring Tommy Pham as Orioles starting pitcher Josh Rogers only lasted an inning and a third as he was charged with six of the Rays runs on six hits.
The Rays added four more runs in the first on a Willy Adames RBI single, and a Brandon Lowe three run home run giving Tampa Bay an early 5-0 lead in the first. The Rays added to their lead with a double steal with runners on the corners scoring Mallex Smith making it 6-0 Tampa Bay. Carlos Gomez solo home run added to the drubbing in the sixth inning giving the Rays a 7-0 lead over Baltimore. The Orioles answered back on a Jace Peterson two-RBI double in the top of the seventh and a sacrifice fly by Caleb Joseph scoring Peterson to make it 7-3 Tampa Bay.
Tommy Pham added an insurance run for Tampa Bay in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double to make it 8-3 and sealing a three game sweep of the American League’s worst team in Baltimore. The win also ties a franchise record for Tampa Bay with their 11th straight win at home.
The Rays combined to score 32 runs in three games against the Orioles, and now trail Oakland for the final wild card slot by 7.5 games with 20 games to play. Tampa Bay will welcome in the Cleveland Indians for a three game series at Tropicana Field beginning Monday.
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