Rocco Baldelli RBI double in last of 9th wins it, Rays over O's, 10-9
It was another game where the Orioles' offense put up solid numbers, but their pitching couldn't hold leads and kept walking batters. Tampa Bay, stunned momentarily after Nick Markakis' long homer tied it with two outs in the top of the 9th, beat the O's in the last of the 9th, 10-9.
O's pitching allowed 9 walks and hit 3 batters helping Tampa rally. The Rays have scored 24 runs in winning the first two games of this series.
With one out in the last of the 9th, Rocky Cherry walked Carlos Pena. The next batter, Rocco Baldelli doubled down the third-base line and Pena beat the relay home for the Rays' 10th walk-off win of the season.
The O's have lost 7 of 8 and 9 of 11 games. Tampa has won 15 of 20, is 20-7 in August and now 51-19 at home. The Rays are 23-6 in home games vs. AL East opponents.
Down to their last out in the top of the ninth, Markakis hit a long homer to right off Dan Wheeler to tie the game, 9-9. It's his first homer since August 9th and 18th of the year.
O's pitching came unglued again in the last of the seventh. With two outs and a man on first the O's then hit a batter, walked one to load them up and hit another to force in the go-ahead run. Baldelli got the gift RBI and Tampa took a 9-8 lead.
Jay Payton led off the O's seventh with a single and later came around to score on a Ramon Hernandez sac fly as the O's tied Tampa, 8-8.
The Rays scored three in the sixth to lead 8-7. Pena's two-run double tied it 7-7 and the go-ahead run scored on a double play grounder.
Tampa scored twice in the fifth to cut the O's lead to 7-5. Dioner Navarro had an RBI double and Gabe Gross an RBI groundout. Payton threw Navarro out at the plate to end the inning.
The O's lead grew to 6-3 in the fourth. Lou Montanez singled and later scored on a Brian Roberts sac fly. The O's made it 7-3 in the fifth when a Hernandez single scored Aubrey Huff who had doubled.
Huff hit a three-run homer in the third to give the O's a 5-3 lead. It was Huff's 30th homer and scored Nick Markakis who doubled and Roberts who walked.
BJ Upton's two-run double to left in the second gave Tampa a 3-2 lead. Upton has 62 RBI.
With two outs and none on in the last of the first, Chris Waters walked four straight batters. The last to Ben Zobrist forced in a run and Tampa trails, 2-1.
The O's took a 2-0 lead two batters into today's game. Roberts led off with a single and Payton hit a two-run homer into the first row of the left-field seats. His 7th of the year gave the O's a 2-0 edge.
Bal 9-12-1
TB 10-13-1
Postgame Notes
The O's have allowed 24 runs on 28 hits and walked 18 in two games in this series......O's pitching has allowed 7 or more runs in 10 of the last 19 games....The control struggles began early when Chris Waters threw 13 strikes and 19 balls in the first inning.
Tampa has won seven in a row vs. the Orioles and leads the season series, 10-3......Baltimore is 1-7 in Tampa.....The only Orioles pitcher to pick up a win in Tampa this year was Chad Bradford, who is now with the Rays......The O's fall to 30-41 on the road and 11-16 in August.
Aubrey Huff went 2-5 with a three-run homer and double.....Huff has 15 hits in 32 at bats over his last 8 games and is hitting .469-3-11 in those 8 contests......Huff has hit 30 homers for the second time in his career and is the first Oriole with 30 since Miguel Tejada hit 34 in 2004.
Nick Markakis went 4-5 and his homer tied it, 9-9 in the ninth.....It's his second four-hit game of the year, he also did it June 6th......He is now hitting .307.....The O's are now 20-24 in one-run games and have lost 14 of 16 one-run games since June 18.
Tampa has won this series and is now 12-0-1 in 13 series since the All-Star break and has won 9 straight series at home.......Tampa is 32-20 vs. the AL East and 23-6 at home vs. AL East squads.
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog
The Pitching Mess
Chris Waters can't get through five, Lance Cormier is ineffective again, Dennis Sarfate is overthrowing again. Through six innings today the O's have walked 15 in this series and allowed 22 runs on 26 hits. The pitching is a mess, right now there seems to be not one on the staff the fans or Dave Trembley can count on. Maybe Jim Johnson, but he never comes in with a lead anymore. This has September disaster written all over it.
No Win For Waters
Given a four-run lead heading to the last of the 5th, Chris Waters didn't survive the inning and will not win this game.
Waters' line: 4 1/3 IP, 8H, 5R-ER, 4BB, 2K.......81 pitches.
Another O's starter, another poor outing. O's starters have pitched a combined 7 1/3 in this series.
AL Doubles Leaders (before today)
46 - Brian Roberts, Bal
41 - Aubrey Huff, Bal
41 - Ian Kinsler, Tex
41 - Dustin Pedroia, Bos
40 - Nick Markakis, Bal
40 - Alex Rios, Tor
Huff Homer Note
His three-run blast in the third gave the O's a 5-3 lead and was his 30th of the year. That's double the number he hit all last year. He is the first Oriole to hit 30 since Miguel Tejada hit 34 in 2004. Huff's career high is 34 in 2003. Huff has 8 homers the last 19 games and 21 the last 70 contests. It's his 4th this year vs. Tampa and his 11th in 112 career at bats vs. the Rays.
Huff 2007: 15 homers in 550 at bats (1 every 36.7 at bats)
Huff 2008: 30 homers in 511 at bats (1 every 17.0 at bats)
That First-Inning Run
The O's allowed a first-inning score for the 61st time this year and the 13th time in the last 18 games. It's become one of this team's biggest problems. This time Chris Waters got the first two outs, then walked four batters in a row. Unlike with Guthrie, this was not umpire aided. It was just terrible pitching. He did recover to get a pop out so Tampa scored a run without a hit, but left the bases loaded and the O's do have the lead. Waters threw 32 pitches in the first, just 13 for strikes.
Payton's Homer Drought
It is over now. When Jay Payton hit a two-run shot in the first inning today, it was his 7th homer of the year, but first since he hit a pair on June 25th at Wrigley Field. That was 146 at bats ago. With that blast, Payton now has 11 hits his last 21 at bats and is 13 for his last 28.
Play Ball !
The second game of the O's-Tampa series is underway as the Birds look to break a six-game losing skid vs. the Rays. Check back during this game for news and updates.
Salazar Joins Club
The Orioles today recalled IF Oscar Salazar from Norfolk and optioned Radhames Liz to Triple-A. Liz is expected back on the official roster when rosters can expand on Monday. With Melvin Mora suffering a hamstring injury last night the O's needed a player. Salazar was recently named to the International League All-Star team and is hitting .316-13-85. He batted .235 in nine games with the O's in June.
Starting Lineups
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
CF Jay Payton
RF Nick Markakis
3B Aubrey Huff
C Ramon Hernandez
DH Luke Scott
1B Kevin Millar
LF Lou Montanez
SS Juan Castro
P Chris Waters
Rays
2B Akinori Iwamura
CF BJ Upton
1B Carlos Pena
DH Rocco Baldelli
3B Willy Aybar
LF Ben Zobrist
C Dioner Navarro
RF Justin Ruggiano
SS Jason Bartlett
P Andy Sonnanstine
Game Preview
Orioles (63-71) at Tampa Bay (82-51)
The last two seasons, the Orioles were 24-13 vs. Tampa Bay. But the Rays have changed a lot of trends in 2008 as they close in on their first-ever playoff berth.
Tampa is 9-3 against the O's this year, including a 6-1 mark in Tampa and six straight wins, its longest streak vs. the Birds since 1999.
Cliff Floyd had 5 RBI Friday and Ben Zobrist hit his first career Grand Slam as Tampa slammed the O's 14-3. The Rays, winners of 14 of 19 games, led 10-0 in the fourth inning.
O's starter Jeremy Guthrie gave up sevens runs and six walks in three innings in his shortest outing of the season.
Tampa is 27-12 in the second-half and 50-19 at home. The Rays are 31-20 vs. AL East opponents, including a 22-6 home record vs. the East.
Pitching Match-Up
LHP Chris Waters (2-1, 4.71) today will make his 6th Major League start of this season, his 3rd on the road and the first in his career vs. Tampa Bay.
Waters pitched decently, but took a loss Monday at home vs. the White Sox. In seven innings, he gave up five hits, four runs, three earned. It was his second longest outing of the season.
Waters entered that start with Chicago giving up an average of over .600 vs. left-handed batters. But he gave up just 2 hits in 10 at bats vs. lefties that night and his average now is .435 vs. lefty hitters. He gives up an average of only .211 vs. right-handed batters.
Waters, who has allowed 7 of his 17 runs in the first inning, has two quality starts and the O's are 3-2 in his starts.
In two road starts, Waters is 1-0, 1.42, giving up just 2ER over 12 2/3.
Before his recall to the Majors, he made 22 starts this year in the Minors between Bowie and Norfolk and went 8-6, 4.65.
RHP Andy Sonnanstine (13-6, 4.42) today will make his 27th start of this season, his 14th at home and his second this season vs. the Orioles.
In his last start, Sunday vs. the White Sox, he did not get a decision. Sonnanstine pitched 6 1/3 and gave up 9 hits and 4 four runs with one strikeout and walk.
Sonnanstine is unbeaten in August, going 3-0, 3.48 in five starts. The Rays are 17-9 when he starts this year.
Sonnanstine gives up a lot of hits but very few walks. The 25-year-old has allowed 181 hits in 158 2/3, but has issued just 28 walks over that time. In 13 home starts, he is 7-3, 4.50.
Sonnanstine, drafted by Tampa in round 13 in 2004, allows an average of .275 vs. lefty hitters and .297 vs. right-handed batters.
Sonnanstine vs. the Orioles:
2008: 1-0, 1.12, one start (April 30th.....8IP, 6H, 1R-ER)
2007: 1-2, 8.04, three starts
Career: 2-2, 5.70 in four starts covering 23 2/3
O's Hitters Recently:
Castro: 3-6, 3 RBI the last two games
Cintron: 2-11
Huff: Over seven games is 13-27 with 2 homers and 8 RBI
Markakis: Over 82 games is batting .328-9-56
Millar: 3-23 his last six contests
Montanez: 3-6 with a double the last 2 games
Mora: Over his last 24 games is batting .418-8-31
Payton: Is 10-20 over his last 6 games
Quiroz: 0-7
Roberts: Batting .317-1-8 his last nine games
Scott: Is 5-11, 3 RBI during 3-game batting streak
I know that the above information states that the Orioles/Tampa Bay game is supposed to be on Fox today at 1555, however, my Fox channel is playing the Phillies/Cubs game. Do you know why this is the case?
Did the O's make any attempt to sign Felipe Lopez? I read where they were trying to trade for him before his release. History suggests better than anyone else we've had play SS this year and he's 28 (8 years younger than Castro). Speaking of Castro, can one of the coaches or Melvin Mora please teach him how to do a sacrifice bunt? It's one thing to be "good glove, no hit" but you have to be able to move runners over for Roberts.