Both teams scored in the first inning. In the top of the frame, with Erasmo Ramirez on the mound, Manny Machado reached on a one out bunt single up the third base line. Machado went to third on a Chris Davis double to the right-center gap, and then scored on Adam Jones’ groundout to short. Tampa Bay countered in the bottom half of the inning after Brandon Guyer led off with a single to center, then came home on Richie Shaffer’s double that bounded past the diving Steve Pearce in left.
Ramirez calmed down and retired eight consecutive batters until he allowed three batters to reach in the fourth. He, however, was able to coax a double play at one point in the frame to get two quick outs. Then with two on, Erasmo forced a comebacker from Matt Wieters to end the inning unscathed.
Baltimore took the lead for good in the sixth as Davis (3-for-3 against Ramirez) doubled to right on the first pitch of the inning. Jones singled in the go ahead run on a bloop to right-center for a one-run advantage.
In his seven innings of work, Ramirez scattered nine hits to go with four strikeouts, yet he surrendered just single tallies in the first and sixth innings thanks to good command and solid defense behind him. Of Erasmo’s 86 pitches, 65 went for strikes, and he walked none. On most days that would be good enough for a win. Then again, this wasn’t most days. Ramirez has now gone seven innings or more six times this season. Chris Archer leads with 13 such starts.
Wei-Yin Chen helped make the lead stand. After allowing hits to the first two batters, Chen was in control ― giving up just two hits and an HBP against next 20 he faced. And though Tampa Bay had a chance to tie the game (or take the lead) in the seventh, getting singles from James Loney and Asdrubal Cabrera to start the frame, Steven Souza Jr. flew out to right, Kevin Kiermaier couldn’t advance the runners on a liner to short, and pinch-hitter Joey Butler went down swinging to end the threat.
Andrew Bellatti threw a scoreless eighth, and Matt Andriese did the same in the ninth to keep the Rays in striking distance.
The Rays were unable to score against Darren O’Day and Zach Britton in the eighth and ninth innings. Grady Sizemore just missed a possible homer ― pulling a ball foul down the right field line ― and then was hit by a pitch by O’Day in the eighth inning; the only base runner against the Orioles bullpen. Excitement ensued.
Mikie Mahtook, on to pinch run after Sizemore, swiped second thanks to a great slide. Yet in a terrible interference call by home plate umpire Dale Scott, Mahtook was sent back to first and Evan Longoria was called out for interfering with Wieters. Longoria swung at the pitch, and while he lost his balance, Evan never left the batters box, in fact he even squatted out of the way on the follow through! Interference calls are based solely on an umpire’s judgment, but a batter should be allowed to swing the bat normally. Mahtook was caught stealing a pitch later, ending the rally with Logan Forsythe at the plate.
The New What Next
Jake Odorizzi (8-8, 3.26 ERA) will take the ball for Tampa Bay on Sunday, opposite of RHP Kevin Gausman. The 25 year-old Odorizzi is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in two starts against Baltimore this season, holding the Orioles’ batters to a .196 average. Odorizzi notched a victory against the Yankees on Tuesday, allowing three earned runs on three hits ― including two home runs ― in six innings. Gausman is 3-6 with a 4.15 ERA on the season. He threw six scoreless innings against the Red Sox on Monday. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 9/20/15 Starting Lineup
Jaso DH
Sizemore LF
Longoria 3B
Forsythe 2B
Loney 1B
Mahtook RF
Kiermaier CF
Arencibia C
Beckham SS
Odorizzi RHP
Noteworthiness
― Last night’s game being another close one, Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) wrote of the Rays inability to win tight games:
Because of the way they are built, focused on pitching and defense and lacking artillery on offense, the Rays are predisposed to play tight games. And that is exactly what happened this season, a majors-most 84 of their first 147 decided by one or two runs. But they weren’t good enough at it, going 41-43 in those games and 24-27 in one-run games. Even worse, of course, was their performance when working overtime as they are a majors-worst 2-13 in extra innings (scoring only four runs in those frames) and losing a record-threatening 11 straight. Also, they have 12 walkoff losses vs. one walkoff win.
― Only five more days until our last regular season watch party. Let’s send off the season with a bang!
― Jake McGee, who will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip, was pleased with the 30-pitch simulated game he threw prior to Sunday’s matinee game. The plan now is to see how his knee feels tomorrow, throw maybe another bullpen session or simulated game, and return to the roster during the Boston series:
“I felt really good, a lot better than last time.”