The Tampa Bay Rays (82-48) defeated the Baltimore Orioles (40-89) 12-8 on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. The Rays finished a dominating season against the Orioles with a 18-1 record, which tied a major league record for wins against a division opponent in a single season. They also outscored the Os 150-71 and did not lose a single game in Baltimore this season.
The win keeps the Rays at least five games in first place atop the American League East, and are now thirty-four games above .500 for just the second time in franchise history.
Joey Wendle went 3-for-4 with six RBIs to set the pace. He had an RBI single that made it 2-0 in the first, then in the sixth inning, moments after Austin Meadows homered, Wendle did too to start to pull away with a 6-2 lead. In the seventh inning Wendle came up with the bases loaded - and came through with a grand slam - that gave the Rays ten runs at that point as they would go on to win the game 12-8. The two home runs for Wendle were his first since June 9th, and his six RBIs were a career best.
Chris Archer pitched four innings in the start, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out six and walking one. J.T. Chargois (5-0, 2.32) got the win with a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in which he struck out two. Rookie Wander Franco singled to start the sixth inning, which extended his MLB leading on-base streak to 29 games.
The Rays now return home and will begin a seven game, two team homestand that begins Monday. First up for the Rays is a big series against the Red Sox - first pitch Monday night is scheduled for 7:10 PM, with pregame coverage beginning with Jay Recher and the Inside Pitch at 6:00 PM on 95.3 WDAE & AM 620.
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