Tampa Bay Slugs 2 HRs, Spoils Return Of Orioles' Means 9-3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Francisco Mejía had a homer and five RBIs, Randy Arozarena also homered and the Tampa Bay Rays spoiled John Means' return from a left shoulder strain, beating the Baltimore Orioles 9-3 Tuesday night.
Means (4-3), making his first start since June 5, allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out two in a 78-pitch outing.
Mejía also had a three-run triple during a four-run eighth off Shaun Anderson that made it 9-3.
Tampa Bay won for the ninth time in 12 games and moved within a game of AL East-leading Boston.
Baltimore (31-63) had its three-game winning streak halted. The Orioles failed for the fifth time to extend a season-high winning streak to four games.
Rays All-Star catcher Mike Zunino, who left Monday's game with left hip flexor tightness, didn't play. First baseman Yandy Díaz was scratched due to neck spasms.
Tampa Bay took a 5-1 lead on Mejía's two-run shot in the fourth.
Arozarena hit his first homer in 22 games, a solo shot in the third inning. He hit a leadoff double during a two-run first and scored on Vidal Bruján's single.
The speedy Bruján later failed to tag up at second on Austin Meadows' deep fly to center, but advanced to third when center fielder Cedric Mullins made an errant throw back to the infield. He broke toward the plate at first on Wander Franco's fly to right, but was able to tag up and score.
Austin Hays reached leading off the eighth on a throwing error by Franco at third base, and scored when Ryan Mountcastle was credited with a sacrifice fly after right fielder Brandon Lowe dropped his fly. Mountcastle scored when Anthony Santander doubled off J.P. Feyereisen, cutting the Orioles' deficit to 5-3.
Tampa Bay had four errors overall.
Pete Fairbanks ended the eighth with a pair of strikeouts with two on.
Pedro Severino got Baltimore within 2-1 on an RBI single in the second off Shane McClanahan (4-3), who gave up one run and four hits over five innings.
HISTORY
The YouTube broadcast of the game featured the first all-female broadcast crew in MLB history. Melanie Newman did play-by-play with analyst Sarah Langs. Alanna Rizzo was the on-field reporter, and Heidi Watney and Lauren Gardner hosted pre-and-postgame coverage.
WELCOME
The Rays signed their first-round pick (28th overall) in this year's draft, SS Carson Williams from Torrey Pines (Calif.) High School.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: 3B Maikel Franco (right ankle) went 0 for 1 with a sacrifice fly and walk with the FCL Orioles Orange. … INF Freddy Galvis (right quadriceps) will start game action at the team's Florida complex next week.
Rays: Reliever Nick Anderson (right elbow) struck out two of four batters in a simulated game. OF Manuel Margot (left hamstring) homered on Anderson's 20th and final pitch. ... INF Mike Brosseau (right oblique) went 3 for 4 with two doubles for the FCL Rays. One double came off former major leaguer and FCL Twins starter Sean Gilmartin.
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Michael Wacha (2-2) will either start or follow an opener Wednesday. LHP Keegan Akin (0-5) starts for Baltimore.
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