Orioles rally to walk past Rays in 11 innings (Fry optioned)

An Orioles bullpen that allowed only one run in its last 19 2/3 innings before tonight couldn't hold up in the eighth inning. It also couldn't hold a slim lead.

With the game advancing to the 11th inning, a tie also disappeared. But not the Orioles' opportunity to win another series.

Seth Smith drew a four-pitch bases-loaded walk off Danny Farquhar with two outs in the 11th to give the Orioles a 5-4 win over the Rays at Camden Yards.

The Orioles have won six series and split one while crafting a 14-6 record. Alec Asher gets his third major league win, his first in the American League.

The Orioles loaded the bases twice in the 11th, which began with Tampa Bay ahead 4-3. Jonathan Schoop had a sacrifice fly off Alex Colomé and Ryan Flaherty battled for a walk that brought Farquhar to the mound.

He wasn't there long.

Asher gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th on catcher Jesús Sucre's two-out, broken-bat blooper into right field after a walk and hit batter.

Logan Morrison walked with one out and Shane Peterson was hit with two down. Sucre, who replaced starter Derek Norris behind the plate, saw his bat explode and the go-ahead run score.

Asher also hit Rickie Weeks before getting back to the dugout.

The Orioles wasted a chance in the bottom of the eighth after Manny Machado led off with an infield hit off Erasmo Ramírez and took second base on shortstop Tim Beckham's throw, the ball almost reaching one of the suites on the club level. Chris Davis walked, but Mark Trumbo took a disputed called third strike and Welington Castillo grounded into a double play.

Dylan Bundy turned in his fifth quality start in five outings, but settled for the no-decision.

Morrison doubled with one out in the seventh to end Bundy's night, and Mychal Givens recorded two outs on two pitches to preserve a 3-2 lead. But Derek Norris doubled to lead off the eighth and Donnie Hart hit Weeks and walked Kevin Kiermaier on nine pitches.

Darren O'Day inherited the bases-loaded mess and got Evan Longoria to ground into a force at home, with Davis making the throw. Davis made a diving stop on Brad Miller's grounder and had to settle for the out at second base as the tying run scored, and Steve Souza Jr. popped up.

Brad Brach stranded Beckham at third base in the top of the ninth and Longoria at first base in the 10th.

A game wasn't won or lost in the bottom of the second inning, but a comedy routine was born.

Smith lined a single into center field and kept running, with two errors allowing him to slide safely into the plate. It's one of those you-had-to-be-there moments, but witnesses were challenged to describe it.

Two runs scored on the play following Flaherty's RBI single. It bordered on insane.

Bundy allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. He served up his first two home runs of the season in five starts, both to Beckham in the third and fifth innings.

In his last three starts, Bundy has allowed two runs and 15 hits in 19 1/3 innings. He's sporting a 1.65 ERA in 32 2/3 innings.

The Orioles strung together five singles off Alex Cobb with one out in the second. Hyun Soo Kim got it started with his 100th career major league hit. Schoop singled and Kim scored on Flaherty's single - his first hit and RBI of the season. Schoop was thrown out a third.

The Rays' accuracy was fleeting.

Smith followed with his second hit in two innings and it got weird. Kiemaier's throw skipped past third baseman Longoria, allowing Smith to take second. Cobb, backing up on the play, tried to get Flaherty retreating to third and bounced the ball off the infielder's helmet.

Flaherty and Smith raced home and SportsCenter had its blooper for the night if there's anyone left at ESPN to cue it up.

(What an absolutely brutal day for some of the absolute best writers, reporters and on-air talent in the industry. They deserved much better.)

Beckham led off the top of the third inning with a home run, the first surrendered by Bundy in 33 1/3 innings dating back to last season. Beckham jumped on an 88 mph four-seam fastball.

Bundy's velocity was down, as many fans noticed. He was living in the upper 80s over the first three innings and touched 92 on a couple of pitches in the fourth.

Bundy retired eight in a row and Beckham got him again to reduce the lead to 3-2 with two outs in the fifth. Bundy went curveball, slider to Beckham and watched another ball disappear into the seats.

Beckham produced his first career multi-homer game.

Bundy also was credited with having the cleanest forearms among the two starters.

Cobb clearly had a substance on his left arm and kept touching it with his pitching hand. The Orioles didn't request that umpires check it, but Twitter blew up.

Was it pine tar? Did Cobb use his arm as a napkin during his pregame meal?

Cobb allowed three runs (two earned) and eight hits in five innings. Ramírez, scratched from last night's start, replaced him in the sixth because the weather was nice.

Manager Buck Showalter on keys to game: "A lot of things in that game that kind of get passed off because you end the game that way. Bundy was good again. Didn't actually think he was carrying real crisp stuff, but he found his way through it. Darren had a big outing for us. Of course, Brad. And a lot of good at-bats there off a really good pitcher. We were fortunate. Thought Chris' at-bat gave us some hope there, some life. And then Welington hooked a slider, I think."

On a good team win: "We scored the three and what did we have, 12, 13, 14 hits? I don't know how many we ended up with. There was some offense there. I'm hoping as we get into the flow of the season a little bit where the weather cooperates a little bit and guys can get into a routine a little bit more. But to be where we are ... Very seldom are you going to be functional on all cylinders, but those are the types of games you like to win."

On whether Orioles are more patient at plate this year: "We went through periods last year where we were. It's just to be able to carry out that approach over a long season is really challenging, especially when you're not getting a return with the swings and you allow them to take you out of the zone. Not many pitchers make a living in the strike zone up here.

"You cannot take until you hit up here. You've got to hit until you take. So, our take button lately has been good. And Seth brought that with him."

On Flaherty: "Ryan looked good tonight. I thought he had some good at-bats tonight. He was seeing the ball well. Nobody was seeing as well as Beckham, I can tell you that. You could tell from the first at-bat that Ryan seemed to be ... You get to know a guy. Balanced, was seeing the ball and wasn't jumping. I liked that. I really wanted to give J.J. (Hardy) these two days if I could."

On crazy second-inning sequence: "They helped us a little bit, but that was aggressive in the right places. Sometimes, you can be aggressive in the wrong places. I like Jon there getting thrown out at third with one out and pushing that envelope. If he can get there with one out, that's a great play. We've had two or three plays this year where we weren't very smart in that situation. I mean with a two-out situation."

On substance on Cobb's arm: "Getting some moisture from his sweat? I don't know. I've got a real frank answer about it, but it's not conducive to us being good for the rest of the year. I saw it, too. Saw it the first inning. Saw it the last time he faced us last year. I'm sure a lot of other managers see it."

On Bundy's velocity drop: "He went and got it a couple times tonight. Sure, I see it. And we talk to him. He's had great work days. He's evolved into, I don't want to say he paces himself, but he's so much more of a pitcher. I thought this was one of his better outings considering he needed all of his weapons tonight to get through that. Early on, he was really struggling to get the ball where he wanted to get it.

"It is something you notice because you have a history with guys. Keep in mind when he started last year it was after the All-Star Break and he didn't have any innings at all. I like to think he's kind of pacing himself through this and knowing when to go get it and when not to. But it's something we're going to keep an eye on."

On O'Day: "That was probably the biggest part of the game other than Dylan's outing was Darren doing that job in that situation. Chris made two great plays that not many first basemen make. That was big for us. Darren's been, I think we all have a lot of confidence when there's a bump in the road or something that he'll get back on track.

"You think about from his delivery and everything he does, the whole world, especially in our division, know exactly what he's going to throw at him and he continues to have success. That's when you know you got pretty good guys. They know what Zach (Britton) is going to do and Brad and Darren and they continue to do it."

Note: The Orioles have optioned left-hander Paul Fry to Triple-A Norfolk, presumably to create a roster spot Friday for outfielder Joey Rickard.

Fry warmed up tonight but didn't pitch.