Orioles outlast Rays in 11 innings and finally win at Tropicana Field (updated)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Dean Kremer headed to the visiting bullpen at Tropicana Field today, the exact spot where he suffered a strained oblique while warming in the season’s third game. He was supposed to pitch in relief and work in a piggyback role early in the year, but the injury destroyed plans formulated back in camp.

“That was a tough day,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We changed course there with that injury.”

Kremer was healed, stretched out and put into the rotation. His first career appearance in St. Petersburg finally arrived this afternoon. Beginning with his warmup tosses in the ‘pen, his role adjusted since back in April.

Second baseman Rougned Odor brought the lineup card to home plate, the task removed from bullpen catcher Ben Carhart after a 10-game losing streak ended last night. The Orioles vowed to begin a new one. If they could just get some cooperation from an opponent that always torments them beneath the dome.

It finally happened today in the late innings. Just as the Orioles appeared to be tumbling below .500 again. Look for Odor at home plate before Sunday’s game, card in hand again. Look for Adley Rutschman in the lineup after a partial rest day that turned into much more.

Look for the Orioles in the standings and their record will be above .500 again.

Rutschman hit his first career pinch-hit home run to tie the game in the eighth, threw out Randy Arozarena at third base on the front end of a double steal attempt in the bottom half of the inning, and lifted a sacrifice fly to right-center off Colin Poche in the 10^th to give the Orioles their first lead. Ji-Man Choi tied the game with an RBI single off Jorge López to send the game into the 11^th, but Jorge Mateo tripled with one out after Odor broke late for third base and was thrown out, Cedric Mullins walked and stole his 19^th base, and Ryan Mountcastle dumped a two-run single into right field off Luke Bard for a 6-4 win.

Cionel Pérez issued a one-out walk in the bottom of the 11^th to bring the potential winning run to the plate, but Taylor Walls popped up and Florida native Joey Krehbiel retired Luke Raley on a fly ball for his first career save.

"Really proud," Hyde said. "Last night stunk, and it was a bad feeling, just the way that sixth inning went and how we lost the game. To be down early and continue to battle back, get some big hits late, our bullpen once again was phenomenal. Just really happy with coming out of here, a tough place to win, with a win."

Mullins stole second without a throw to put him in scoring position for Mountcastle.

"It turned out to be enormous," Hyde said. "Aggressive baserunning by our guys."

Mountcastle gave the dugout the binoculars gesture as he reached first base, pumped his fist and yelled.

A sigh of relief also would have been appropriate.

"I'm not a big rah-rah guy, but in the moment, man, I got excited," he said. "It was a big hit, and glad we could come out with the win.

"I didn't hit the ball well the last couple days, and for me to somehow jam one over there into right was big for me and the team, to put us up two. One run in those extra-inning games isn't really that crazy, but a two-run lead is big. For us to get two runs is huge."

López hit Yandy Díaz in the ninth but also struck out three batters. Choi’s single, after Brett Phillips’ sacrifice bunt, was followed by Arozarena’s bat-shattering double play grounder.

Rutschman batted for Tyler Nevin leading off the eighth and launched a 94 mph fastball from new reliever Jason Adam over the right field fence for his fifth homer of the season. Fans who chanted his name earlier erupted behind the visiting dugout.

"I think the coaches do a great job of communicating, so every game that you're not in the lineup, you know that there's a chance you could come in, so you try to plan accordingly through the game," Rutschman said. "Keep your body loose and just mentally prepare."

"He's had a few huge pinch-hits," Hyde said. "That's not an easy guy to come off the bench, been sitting for 2 1/2 hours, you face Adam with nasty stuff and he takes him deep. Really impressive. He's learning on the fly up here and it's cool for him to be in this environment in his first year in the big leagues. He's a winning player."

Dillon Tate replaced Keegan Akin with one out and none on in the bottom of the eighth and walked the next two batters. Arozarena stole second base, with Rutschman bouncing his throw into center field, but the play at third wasn’t close.

Opponents are 14-for-17 on attempts against Rutschman, but he fired a perfect strike to nab Arozarena.

"It was a big situation," Rutschman said, "so definitely a big out."

Austin Hays was the automatic runner in the 10^th and the throw home on Rutschman’s fly ball beat him to the plate, but catcher Christian Bethancourt couldn’t control the ball and also make the tag.

There was more, and finally there was a win.

"For us to bounce back after yesterday, a close game, and to play another close game and win was huge, especially against these guys," Mountcastle said. "They're a really good team and it's been a while since we've beaten them here, I feel like. So for us to finally get one was big."

Ramón Urías delivered a game-tying RBI double in the second inning after homering twice last night, he doubled and scored on Nevin’s single in the fifth, and the Orioles improved to 46-45 with one game remaining before the All-Star break.

"The thing is, night in and night out we try to show up and just play quality baseball and play team baseball," Rutschman said. "I think we're very process-oriented, and played good baseball today and were able to win."

"It shows how well we're gelling together," Kremer said. "Guys are just picking up each other. We're having fun."

Kremer lasted four innings in his shortest start of the season. He allowed three runs and eight hits, with no walks, two strikeouts, two wild pitches and a hit batter. He threw 79 pitches, 52 for strikes, and concluded the first half with a 2.59 ERA.  

The Orioles must have wondered when it would be the right time to play the Rays at Tropicana Field.

A roster decimated by injuries hadn’t stopped them from winning, with their streak ending today at four games. The Orioles had lost 10 in a row here, and 16 of 17.

"I saw on the TV broadcaster during the game, they said the last 10 here we've been 0-10," Kremer said, "and for these guys to come back and pull out the win, it's a testament to what's going on in the clubhouse."

Brandon Lowe came off the injured list, with Kevin Kiermaier transferred to the 60-day IL, and laid down a bunt single in the first inning. Eminem’s “Without Me” played over the public address system.

“Guess who’s back, back again …”

Lowe raced to third base on Harold Ramírez’s single into right field, Kremer struck out Choi on nine pitches, and Lowe scored on a wild pitch – the ball taking a high bounce over catcher Robinson Chirinos. Lowe dived into the plate and beat the tag on a close play.

Ramírez was held at third base on Arozarena’s two-out single, and pitching coach Chris Holt walked to the mound.

Kremer struck out Josh Lowe on his 32^nd pitch of the inning.

Isaac Paredes and Walls opened the second with singles, but a fly ball and double play got Kremer back to the dugout after 15 pitches. The Orioles turned another double play in the third on Choi’s ground ball after Lowe’s leadoff single and Kremer’s curveball that hit Ramírez, but another pitch in the dirt eluded Chirinos and gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead.

Chirinos shifted to his right but couldn’t keep the ball in front of him.

Kremer couldn’t keep Arozarena from hitting his 12^th career home run in 29 games against the Orioles. A 1-2 curveball caught too much of the plate.

"I was OK," Kremer said. "Made a couple bad pitches. One ended up in the seats and two to the backstop, and that's my fault. But happy that I stuck around, so it was good."

Mateo led off the third with a single and was thrown out trying to steal, making him 22-for-26 this season. Urías doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on Nevin’s single to reduce the lead to 3-2, but Chirinos grounded into a double play.

Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, recalled today, held the Orioles to two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Mullins, the last batter Yarbrough faced, lined to Choi and snapped his bat in half at home plate. Mullins walked back to the dugout carrying the handle.

He was in a much better mood in the 11^th.

"A lot of these guys are surprising me a little bit," Hyde said. "Ced showing way more emotion this year than he's ever shown, snapping the bat over the knee. Ryan with the fist pump. It's a tough place to play, we have not played well here since I've been here, and for us to get a big hit and hold on, it's a good feeling."

Austin Voth relieved Kremer and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings, and Akin retired all three batters he faced. Pérez got his 14th hold and Krehbiel his first save, and the Orioles are can't be below .500 at the break.

"There's a bunch of great players in this clubhouse, and I always knew even last year if we all meshed together, we could win some ballgames," Mountcastle said. "Glad we're doing that right now, and just keep it going in the second half."

Note: Reliever Félix Bautista wasn't available today due to some upper-body soreness, Hyde said, using a hockey term. Bautista walked from the bullpen to the dugout during the game.