Mancini's leadoff home run, Schoop on tying Roberts (O's down 7-3)

The first inning bit the Orioles again in the nightcap. Always a painful spot.

C.J. Cron, the second batter of the game, homered to center field off Alex Cobb to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. But the Orioles aren't taking any crap lately, and Trey Mancini's leadoff homer in the bottom half tied the score.

Mancini has accounted for both of the Orioles' leadoff home runs this season. Tonight's shot traveled an estimated 406 feet to left field.

The Orioles have been outscored 58-17 in the first this season.

No shutdown inning for Cobb, who surrendered Brad Miller's leadoff triple in the second inning and Daniel Robertson's RBI grounder.

Mancini didn't seem to get a good read on Miller's ball, and it caromed off the fence and rolled away from him.

Cobb recovered by getting the ground ball and striking out Mallex Smith and Carlos Gomez, going upstairs on the latter with a 93 mph fastball. He's thrown 12 pitches in each of the first two innings.

Slowly rounding into form after signing on March 21, Cobb allowed three earned runs and four total over his last two starts, covering 12 innings. Back-to-back quality outings.

Second baseman Jonathan Schoop remains in the cleanup spot after homering twice in Game 1. He was the last of three consecutive batters to ground out to third baseman Joey Wendle in the first.

(Wendle singled three times in Game 1 and again in the first inning tonight. When did he become Wade Boggs?)

Schoop doesn't seem to be carrying much rust from his stint on the disabled list with an oblique injury.

"I'm just here to compete and trying to win," he said. "If you compete and try to win, good things are going to happen. I'm not worried about getting hits. Of course, you want to get hits, but I want to win. If you win, good things are going to happen."

Schoop has hit safely in seven consecutive games, going 11-for-28 (.393) with three doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs and six runs scored.

"I go out there and do my work with Cooley (hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh)," Schoop said, "and when the game starts I'll compete."

He'll also climb up another franchise list.

Schoop tied Brian Roberts for most home runs by an Orioles second baseman with 92.

"Sometimes, you want to do it by yourself," he said. "The main goal is to win with the team. If you achieve something by yourself, it's good.

"I respect Brian a lot. He helped me a lot in my career. When I was in the minor leagues, he was coming down and rehabbing. He helped me out. I'm thankful for him. He still teaches me a lot of things. He's one of the best over there that I've seen."

Update: The Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the third on two singles and Jace Peterson's fielding error, and Wendle's sacrifice fly expanded the lead to 3-1.

Update II: Miller's leadoff home run in the fourth gave Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead.

Update III: The game resumed after a delay of 1 hour, 19 minutes and the Orioles scored twice in the bottom of the sixth on Caleb Joseph's leadoff double, Mancini's RBI single and Schoop's tapper to the mound. The Rays are on their fifth pitcher of the night while leading 4-3.

Cobb allowed four runs (three earned) and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, with no walks, five strikeouts and two home runs. He threw 69 pitches, 45 for strikes. Jimmy Yacabonis replaced him after the delay and stranded both batters that he walked in the sixth.

Update IV: The Rays scord a run off Yacabonis in the seventh on a one-out walk to Denard Span, Cron's double to right field and Schoop's throwing error while trying to get Span at third base. They lead 5-3.

Update V: Rule 5 pick Pedro Araujo allowed two runs in the eighth and retired only two batters, as the Rays built a 7-3 lead.