Wieters Leads Orioles To Doubleheader Sweep
BALTIMORE (AP) — Matt Wieters hit two homers, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Tampa Bay 8-6 Saturday night for a doubleheader sweep that extended the Rays' losing streak to 10 games.
Adam Jones and Chris Davis also homered for the AL East-leading Orioles, who trailed 4-0 in the third inning and 6-3 in the fifth.
In the opener, Kevin Gausman allowed four hits over 7 2/3 innings to earn his first win of the season and help Baltimore to a 5-0 victory.
Seeking his 10th straight win in the nightcap, Orioles starter Chris Tillman gave up six runs and 10 hits in five innings. But Baltimore's comeback kept the right-hander unbeaten in 13 starts since April 14.
The turnaround came against a struggling Rays pitching staff that has now yielded at least five runs in 10 consecutive games. Tampa Bay has been outscored 60-24 during this horrid stretch.
The Rays led 4-0 in the third and were threatening to make it a blowout when Jones made a diving catch of a two-out liner to center with the bases loaded.
Wieters hit a two-run shot in the fourth, Jones connected in the fifth and Davis led off the sixth with his 17th homer to get the Orioles to 6-5.
Baltimore took its first lead in the seventh. Jones hit an RBI single off Erasmo Ramirez (7-6) and Davis greeted Xavier Cedeno with a run-scoring single.
Wieters connected again leading off the eighth.
T.J. McFarland (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings, Brad Brach worked the eighth and Zach Britton got three outs for his 23rd save.
The first game of the day-night doubleheader was dominated by Gausman (1-5), who earned his first win in 13 starts since last September. The right-hander received a standing ovation from the crowd of 18,229 upon leaving the mound following his 113th pitch.
Gausman retired 12 straight batters at one point. He walked none and allowed only one runner past first base through the first seven innings.
Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop had two hits, scored twice and backed Gausman with two outstanding defensive plays, including one in which he snagged a grounder in short center field and threw out the runner at first.
Matt Andriese (6-1) gave up two runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings for Tampa Bay. The right-hander was unbeaten in 10 starts since last June 22.
Tampa Bay reliever Enny Romero was helped off the mound after a line drive headed toward his head struck him in the palm of his left hand.
Baltimore used RBI singles by J.J. Hardy and Jones to go up 2-0 in the second inning.
Francisco Pena singled in a run off Tyler Sturdivant in the sixth, and Pedro Alvarez made it 5-0 with a two-run single in the seventh.
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