ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning tonight and settled for one run.
They loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and settled for one run.
A 3-2 lead over the Rays doesn't seem sufficient.
The Orioles could have delivered a knockout punch to Rays starter Chris Archer. Instead, they've taken a slim lead against him and pushed his pitch count to 100 in five innings.
Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones singled to lead off the fourth and Matt Wieters reached on an error to fill the bases. Cruz scored on J.J. Hardy's sacrifice fly, but Steve Clevenger struck out and Steve Pearce grounded out.
Ryan Flaherty opened the fifth with a double, his 14th hit in 69 at-bats this season. He's 4-for-9 lifetime against Archer.
Nick Markakis walked and Manny Machado singled to again load the bases. After Cruz struck out, Jones lifted sacrifice fly to center field for his 15th RBI and a 3-2 lead.
Wieters flied to right, with Wil Myers running down the ball near the line.
Will the Orioles live to regret their inability to break open the game in the middle innings? They've put the leadoff runner on base in four of the first five innings. Seems as though they should be doing more damage.
Update: An Orioles starter has completed six innings for only the second time in the last six games.
Chris Tillman has allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, with one walk, two strikeouts and a home run. He's thrown 84 pitches, including 56 for strikes.
Tillman threw 112 pitches in 4 2/3 innings in his last start. He totaled 15 1/3 innings in his last three starts before tonight.
Update II: Tillman faced two batters in the seventh, allowing a single to Wil Myers and issuing a 10-pitch walk to David DeJesus, and was replaced by Darren O'Day.
O'Day hit Ryan Hanigan on the left hand to load the bases with one out, and Ben Zobrist's sacrifice fly tied the game.
Tillman was charged with three runs and five hits, with two walks, two strikeouts and a home run. He threw 99 pitches, 64 for strikes.
The Orioles have 10 quality starts in 30 games.
Wieters collected his second hit of the night leading off the top of the eighth inning to raise his average to .344.
In case you were wondering about attendance, it's been announced as 11,855 at Tropicana Field.
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