Wrapping up a 4-2 win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles took two of three games at Oriole Park at Tropicana Field, or OPATF for short, and moved above .500 for the first time since April 20.

They handled their latest challenge like all the others, in businesslike fashion and refusing to accept any sort of pity.

"People have been through worse, man. People have been through worse," said center fielder Adam Jones, who went 4-for-4 with a tie-breaking two-run single in a 4-2 win over the Rays before 16,652.

"We're athletes. People have been through worse. There's more people in Baltimore that are facing tougher hardships than we're facing. We get to play baseball for a living. The hardships that we have to face? Nah. You've got to look at the people that actually have to face some hardships and those are the people back in Baltimore right now.

"Sports is known to always bring people together. That's just what sports are. I remember as a teenager with 9/11 how baseball brought back the fans and made everybody feel comfortable for those three hours. You get away from your own reality. Hopefully, we can do that for Baltimore. Same thing. But we're just going to go out there and play the game hard and play for our city. That's our message."

Jones delivered another message - that it's wise to pitch around him as his average climbs to .402. Jones is the first player in Orioles history with three games of four hits or more within the first 23 games of the season. Baby Doll Jacobson did it for the St. Louis Browns in 1924.

"I've got one simple philosophy: Get the heater and try not to miss it. After that, I don't even know. It all draws a blank," Jones said.

What does it say about the Orioles going 2-1 in this series?

"You've gotta do what you've gotta do," Jones said. "But it's cool that the Rays and their organization saw what was going on in Baltimore and they offered to switch the series on such short notice. So, you've got to give them thanks because if that didn't happen we wouldn't be playing this weekend in Baltimore. It's good that the Rays organization found it smart to switch the locations."

The Orioles have a comfort zone of sorts here, with so many games played at Tropicana Field each season and their fans making the trips.

"They do come down here," Jones said. "It was good. But this turf makes our bodies hurt, man. But it is what it is. The game is the game. You've got to play the game. I love standing with my teammates throughout it all. Just got to do what we've got to do."

Jimmy Paredes keeps doing his thing, an RBI double in the seventh tying the score before Jones came to the plate.

"Huge hit," Jones said. "We call him 'Babe Ruth' in here. He's just having good at-bats. That's what it boils down to. He's getting good pitches to hit and he's not missing them. He's not just up there swinging at everything. He's getting himself in good counts, and when you get yourself in a good count, it's a little easier to hit. It's still really hard to hit but it's a little easier when you find yourself 2-0, 3-1."

Tommy Hunter picked up the win with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh.

"It's just the roller coaster ride that you never seem to hop off," he said. "You get sometimes little bumps, sometimes there's that big first incline at the beginning of the roller coaster and then you just drop off the face of the earth. That's kind of what I felt like after my first couple outings. But now we're on a smoother path right now, so just take it, ride the wave and stay on as long as you can."

The entire pitching staff seems to be coming around.

"It's all about just doing your job," Hunter said. "There's been a lot of things that have been turning around. The bullpen been getting a little better. The starters are getting deeper. We're playing defense and putting runs up on the board. I think that's the object of the game. To play 'bad baseball' and still be, what, two games outside, that's bad baseball for us and we're still in the mix of things.

"I don't think theres anything to worry about. I think there's a lot of baseball to be played and if we play the way we're capable of, things are fun."

Hunter agreed that moving the series to St. Petersburg shouldn't be viewed as a monumental challenge. No pity.

"It's baseball," he said. "I don't think coming here, just play ball. This team is pretty talented offensively, defensively. We've got a pretty good staff. As soon as we put it together, good things will happen."

Manager Buck Showalter joined Jones in thanking the Rays organization "for providing the venue."

"It's hard on everybody. It's hard on them, too," he said.

"It's unusual circumstances. This is a lot more challenging than a rain delay or rainout and doubleheader. But there's always challenges and we've had our share. We hope to get a break with them. Some of it is self-inflicted, too.

"There's so many challenges, but we got on a jet plane and flew here and stayed in a hotel. We lost some home games. I know it's a challenge because it's a break from a routine, but not once have I heard anyone talk about it as an excuse or 'woe is me'. There's plenty more people who could use that back in Baltimore more than us."

Orioles fans rose to their feet and cheered the final out from closer Zach Britton, again taking over The Trop.

"The atmosphere here was about as good as I've seen it, quite frankly," Showalter said. "You guys know what I'm talking about. It was a little different than anything I've experienced here before. We appreciate it."

Rey Navarro came off the bench to deliver an RBI single in the sixth after Steve Pearce left the game with a stomach illness.

"Stevie was really scuffling," Showalter said. "He was sick earlier this morning, but felt OK at game time. Wanted to give it a shot. After a couple at-bats, he wasn't doing too good."

Jones is doing just fine.

"Adam, you can't have a much better day than he did," Showalter said. "Adam's never dwelled on one at-bat or one swing. He puts it behind him."

Wei-Yin Chen settled for a no-decision after allowing two runs in six innings. He's permitted three earned runs or fewer in his last eight starts at Tropicana Field.

"My last outing, I felt pretty great," Chen said through his interpreter. "All I wanted to do was keep the same feeling and not do anything extra and that's what I did today."

Chen delivered the rotation's sixth consecutive quality start.

"At the beginning of the year we had some bumpy starts, but everyone is doing better and better," Chen said. "Sometimes, I look at other guys' games like Ubaldo (Jimenez) and Tilly (Chris Tillman), I look at their games and think about mine."

Chen was spared a loss by the three-run seventh inning.

"Baseball, it's not over until it's over and our team has always been like this," Chen said. "Keep battling, grinding out there until the very last moment. I think that's just how we are."