Rays Beat O's 2-0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- B.J. Upton joined elite company by hitting his 100th career homer and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 on Friday night.
Upton put the Rays ahead 1-0 on a fourth-inning homer to center off Tommy Hunter (4-7). Upton joins Rickey Henderson, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Cesar Cedeno, Lloyd Moseby, Eric Davis and Hanley Ramirez as the only players to amass 100 homers and 200 steals before age 28.
Upton turns 28 on Aug. 21. His brother, Arizona's Justin Upton, also hit his 100th career homer earlier in the night at Philadelphia.
Tampa Bay's Matt Moore (8-7) improved to 7-2 in his past 11 starts after giving up six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Fernando Rodney, the fourth Rays' reliever, pitched the ninth for his 32nd save.
Desmond Jennings made it 2-0 on a solo shot in the sixth. Hunter has given up 26 homers this season.
Orioles center fielder Adam Jones later in the sixth made a catch near the wall to take away an extra-base hit from Carlos Pena with runners on first and second.
Hunter allowed two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Baltimore loaded the bases with two outs in the first, but failed to score when Moore struck out Mark Reynolds.
Jake McGee replaced Moore with a runner on second and one out during the sixth and worked out of the jam. Joel Peralta struck out Reynolds and pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit with two on to end the eighth.
Notes: Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said 3B Evan Longoria, out since May 1 with a partially torn left hamstring, could rejoin the team during a three-game series against Toronto that starts Tuesday. ... Orioles DH Jim Thome, on the disabled list due to a herniated disc in his neck, received an epidural injection. ... Rays RHP Jeff Niemann (broken right fibula) threw a simulated game and is set to start a minor league rehab assignment next Wednesday. ... Orioles 2B Brian Roberts had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip.. ... Tampa Bay recalled INF Will Rhymes from Triple-A Durham.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
