Junior Caminero drove in Yandy Diaz with a seventh-inning single to cap a four-hit performance and give the host Tampa Bay Rays their first lead as they overcame an eight-run deficit to claim a 12-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda collected three hits and matched Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Caminero with two RBIs. Diaz, Taylor Walls, Christopher Morel, and Josh Lowe each drove in a run for the Rays, who banged out 18 hits to erase the 8-0 lead Baltimore built in the second inning.
Baltimore’s Colton Cowser and Ramon Laureano each launched a three-run homer and Cedric Mullins also went deep. Gunnar Henderson added an RBI single for the Orioles, who did not record a hit after the second.
The Rays scored their first eight runs over the third through fifth innings before taking over the lead by scoring four runs with two outs in the seventh.
Caminero’s infield single off Andrew Kittredge (1-1) scored Diaz before Josh Lowe drove in Brandon Lowe with an RBI single to right. Aranda’s two-run single to center extended Tampa Bay’s lead to 12-8 and pinned the loss on Kittredge, who permitted four runs on four hits in one inning.
The Rays’ rally enabled Mason Montgomery (1-1) to pick up his first career win. He struck out one batter while throwing a 1-2-3 seventh. Recently acquired Forrest Whitley threw a perfect eighth to bridge the gap to Pete Fairbanks, who retired the side in the ninth.
Tampa Bay halved its eight-run deficit thanks to Morel’s RBI double and Mangum’s two-run single in the third and Caminero’s RBI single in the fourth.
Walls tripled and came around to score in the fifth to cut Baltimore’s lead to 8-6 before pinch hitter Brandon Lowe crushed a 3-2 fastball from Yennier Cano over the wall in right-center field to forge a tie. Lowe’s homer was his 15th of the season and second in three games.
Baltimore bolted out of the blocks as Cowser belted his second homer in as many nights by depositing a 2-2 offering from Taj Bradley over the wall in center.
Mullins’ team-leading 12th homer gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead and the next two batters reached before Henderson’s RBI single chased Bradley. Laureano greeted Kevin Kelly by powering a 2-1 sinker over the wall in right-center.
–Field Level Media
