Tyler Glasnow tosses seven dominant innings as O's drop series opener

In his first start since being named the American League Pitcher of the Month for April, Tampa Bay right-hander Tyler Glasnow proved to be a worthy recipient of the honor.

And it didn't take long to note that.

Staked to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Glasnow struck out the side in the home first. He showed a 99 mph fastball and then a big curveball that produced looking strikeouts of Jonathan Villar, Trey Mancini and Dwight Smith Jr.

He was off and running toward his fifth win of the year. A three-run homer by his catcher Mike Zunino helped the cause and the Rays shutout the Orioles 7-0 at Camden Yards. The O's were blanked for the second time after losing 4-0 at Boston on April 14.

The Birds fall to 3-11 at home and to 11-22 for the season. They opened a nine-game homestand with their sixth loss at home by seven or more runs.

Glasnow retired the first 11 batters he faced - five on strikeouts - before an infield single up the middle by Smith. He would give up just two more singles tonight and no Oriole reached second base against him.

It was a dominant outing. Glasnow went seven scoreless on three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. He improved to 6-0 and lowered his AL-leading ERA from 1.75 to 1.47. In two starts versus the Orioles he has allowed two runs and 10 hits in 14 innings. For the year he has walked seven and fanned 46 in 43 innings.

Tonight he produced his fifth quality start, which is one more than the entire O's rotation in 2019. He threw 51 four-seam fastballs that averaged 97.2 mph and topped at 99.7. Right-hander Casey Sadler went the last two innings to complete the shutout.

The Rays are now 21-11 and 12-4 on the road. They are 3-1 versus the Orioles on the season and 14-9 since the beginning of last year.

O's right-hander Dan Straily took the loss and is 0-2 with an ERA of 7.43 through six games, five as a starter. Tonight he went just 4 1/3 allowing nine hits and five runs.

O's starters have thrown 5 1/3 innings or less in 27 of 33 games. In the last eight games, they have gone five innings or less each time.