Orioles double their pleasure again in 11-2 win (with quotes)

Two straight wins won't turn the Orioles from sellers into buyers, but they can rebuild their self-esteem while also plotting how to tear down the roster.

Trey Mancini celebrated his bobblehead night with his second home run since July 1, Joey Rickard delivered his second three-run double in 24 hours and tied his career high with five RBIs, and the Orioles trounced the Rays 11-2 before an announced crowd of 21,526 at Camden Yards.

Back-to-back wins have left the Orioles with a 31-74 record and a chance to claim the four-game series that concludes on Sunday. They've scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time since July 18-19, 2017 against the Rangers.

Mancini also singled three times for the first four-hit night of his career as he emerges from a lengthy slump. His last three-hit game was June 29, and he blew past it in the seventh inning with a single up the middle against Jaime Schultz.

Rickard, taken from the Rays organization in the Rule 5 draft, was 8-for-18 with three doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs against them this season after his run-scoring two-bagger in the sixth that gave the Orioles a 9-2 lead.

Mancini and Rickard homered on consecutive pitches from "opener" Ryne Stanek in the second inning, the seventh time this season that the Orioles have gone back-to-back. Rickard cleared the bases in the fourth with a double off Jalen Beeks.

Caleb Joseph had run-scoring singles in the fourth and sixth innings. Adam Jones' RBI double in the sixth increased the lead to 10-2 and caused Beeks' removal, and Mark Trumbo followed with a sacrifice fly off Schultz.

The Rays didn't put a position player on the mound. Doing it twice in the eighth last night was ample. No one wanted to relive that experience.

Kevin Gausman held the Rays to two runs while scattering nine hits over seven innings. He was removed after 106 pitches.

Jesús Sucre gave the Rays a 1-0 lead in the second with a run-scoring double and Kevin Kiermaier led off the third with a home run that reduced the Orioles' lead to 3-2. The Orioles hung four runs on the Rays in the fourth and sixth innings.

Gausman didn't have a clean inning and he didn't use his split-change with the usual frequency, but he kept getting key outs and the Orioles spoiled him with runs.

The bottom third of the order - Mancini, Rickard and Joseph - went a combined 10-for-12 with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBIs and seven runs scored. Joseph notched his second three-hit game of the season.

Tim Beckham walked three times in a game for the first time in his career.

Jonathan Schoop nearly set the major league record for second basemen by homering in six consecutive games, but left fielder Joey Wendle robbed him with a leaping catch in the eighth inning.

Schoop was denied. The Orioles won't deny that they're sellers at the deadline. But they also can have some fun along the way.

Manager Buck Showalter on importance of last two nights despite rebuild: "Sure. Anytime. Believe me, we like when the Orioles win. We all do. That's the goal every night. It's like when talking to the season-ticket holders today. We're trying to win a game for the Orioles, for our side, the good guys, every night. I know the players do feed off that. They've certainly been beat down enough mentally, so it's good.

"That's a team having a pretty good year, too. We just, last two nights, especially tonight, got a little off-script for them. We were able to do something off the opener. Is that what it's called? Was that Beeks' first outing with them? He's got a good cutter. I'll tell you, we were fortunate. We had a lot of balls that ... we were due that."

Showalter on Mancini producing on bobblehead night: "I'm going to tell you what, I hope they can bobble him again tomorrow. What's next? What else can you have? Drop a gnome on him."

Showalter when told 13 of Rickard's 18 RBIs this season against the Rays: "We had, what, 10 hits from our last three in the order? That was big. We got a lot of production out of the bottom there. I don't want to hear about soft hits or seeing-eye singles. Seems like it's been on the other foot all year. Joey's ball that hit chalk over there, a couple swinging bunts. We deserved every one of them."

Showalter on Gausman: "Good, good. You know, Kevin, I know he's going to be working with an extra day's rest next time out, and I don't think he's carrying everything as far as command and just missing on some pitches, but pitched through seven innings, gave up two runs and that's good to see. Those type of outings, when he's carrying everything, it's a different ...

"I thought he made a couple big pitches that the inning could pile up on him if he didn't. But that's pretty common rhetoric after a game, made pitches when asked to. I try to get our minor league guys not to use that in their reports, but it certainly fits the repertoire."

Showalter on Gausman not using splitter as much:" Kevin can pitch with fastball command. I thought he would be a pretty good matchup for them with the left-handed hitters because he can defend himself, not that he can't with right. It's a lot like Alex (Cobb). You go out there sometimes and just don't have a feel for it. I think he gave up a home run off (the splitter). I'm not sure if that was.

"Sometimes, that leaves a taste in your mouth that you don't feel like you can finish there. But he threw a big one to (Willy) Adames. It might have been a breaking ball, but I thought it was a split. It never completely deserts him. Sometimes, it feels like for an inning or two, you just don't have a feel for it. You have to figure out a way to survive.

"He reached back a couple of times and went 97 when he really wanted to go-get a little bit. That's a sign of maturity. For Kevin, more is not always better. I'm hoping as he evolves as a pitcher that's going to happen more and more. I don't think he's operating with the command of his fastball that he is capable of."