Despite losing pitcher Jason Hammel in the fourth inning to injury, the Baltimore Orioles had no trouble pulling off a pivotal 9-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Tuesday night at Camden Yards. Coupled with the Yankees losing in Boston, 4-3, the win moved Baltimore into a tie with New York atop the American League East.
O’s Tied For AL East Lead After Topping Rays, 9-2
Baltimore tied the Yankees and moved two games ahead of the Rays in the AL East after Tuesday’s 9-2 victory over Tampa Bay.
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Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy came up huge offensively for the Orioles to kick off the three-game series, on a night when Tampa pitcher Matt Moore was chased from the mound early after tossing 94 pitches over just four innings. Hardy finished the game with a 4-for-5 performance that included a pair of home runs and five runs batted in, while Wieters continued his strong September with a perfect 3-for-3 game from the dish. In addition to tying for the division lead, the win also puts Baltimore two games ahead of the Rays in the race for the American League's final wild card spot.
The 30-year-old Hammel yielded only one hit, a solo home run to Ryan Roberts, before landing awkwardly on his knee after delivering a pitch to Tampa's Matt Joyce in the fourth inning. Hammel, who was making just his second start after sitting out two months following knee surgery, was taken to the locker room immediately after being evaluated and now faces an uncertain timetable.
Of the five hits the Rays batters mustered against Baltimore pitching, two ended up leaving the field of play. Pinch hitter Eliot Johnson followed Roberts’ blast with a solo shot of his own in the eighth inning, even though it marked one of very few bright spots for Tampa Bay fans on the evening.
Now forced to take the series' final two games in order to pull even with the Orioles before heading to New York on Friday, the Rays will send right-hander Alex Cobb (9-8, 4.28 ERA) to the mound to face Miguel Gonzalez (6-4, 3.62 ERA) in Game 2.
Head over to DRays Bay for more Tampa Bay coverage, and be sure to check out Camden Chat for more on the Orioles.
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