ST. PETERSBURG (WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays rallied from down 5-2 Thursday to force extra innings, but Joey Rickard's fourth hit of the night broke the tie and allowed the Baltimore Orioles to salvage the finale of their three-game series at Tropicana Field with a 6-5 11-inning decision.
Though Tampa Bay got out to an early 1-0 lead just two batters into the game, as Austin Meadows doubled and scored on a base hit by Tommy Pham, and Hunter Wood opened with two scoreless innings, Baltimore was able to grab the lead in the top of the third. Trey Mancini started with a one-out double, but could only make it to third base on a double from Dwight Smith Jr. Renato Nunez singled to tie the game and after a pop out by Rio Ruiz, Rickard's infield hit gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead.
That lead would not last, as Pham blasted a solo home run, his second of the year, to tie the game back up.
Baltimore would immediately untie the game as Severino led off the top of the fourth with a solo shot off Beeks. The Orioles added single runs in both the seventh and the eighth inning, with a RBI single by Richie Martin off Adam Kolarek, and a sacrifice fly by Smith against Emilio Pagan.
Tampa Bay got back to within a single run in the eighth off Evan Phillips, who walked both Ji-Man Choi and Yandy Diaz, who each scored on a double by Mike Zunino. Garcia then tied the game with one out in the ninth against Mychal Givens with a blast to center field that Statcast estimated at 447 feet, the longest home run hit by a Rays player this year.
Pham then singled off Givens and took second base on a wild pitch, but was caught trying to steal third, and Tampa Bay would not get another opportunity to break the tie.
After Jose Alvarado worked a scoreless tenth inning, Diego Castillo (0-1) allowed two-out singles to Chris Davis and Ruiz in front of Rickard, whose fourth hit was a double down the left-field line scored Davis to break the tie.
John Means, who struck out the side in the tenth, allowed a walk to Daniel Robertson in the 11th, but stranded him at first base to end the game.
FRIDAY'S MATCHUP
Tampa Bay Rays (14-5) vs. Boston Red Sox (6-13), 7:10 pm first pitch, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 6:00 with The Inside Pitch.
Rays starter: RHP Ryne Stanek (0-0, 1.93 ERA)
Red Sox starter: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 7.98 ERA)