Tampa Bay produces 11 extra-base hits in 12-7 romp over O's

Miguel Gonzalez lasted just 4 2/3 innings. He was not around when Tampa Bay scored seven runs in the sixth inning. Or added two more in the seventh.

Yeah, it was a rough day for Orioles pitchers.

Matt Joyce went 5-for-6 with two homers and four RBIs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 12-7 rout of the Orioles in front of 32,665 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles reached the season's midpoint today and have a record of 42-39.

The Orioles could have moved to within a half-game of first place in the American League East with a win, but instead they lose three of four to Tampa Bay and are 3-4 on this homestand.

Joyce tied Rays team records with five hits and 12 total bases as the Rays had 18 hits, 11 for extra bases, including five homers. They finished one short of their club record for extra-base hits in one game.

The Orioles today allowed season highs in runs for one game with 12 and in one inning with seven.

Gonzalez gave up eight hits and three runs with four walks and two strikeouts. In three starts since coming off the DL, Gonzalez has pitched 14 2/3 innings, allowing 25 hits and 10 runs with nine walks and five homers. Opponents are batting .385 against him in those three games.

O's starters have just one quality start the last seven games with an ERA of 5.68.

The Orioles bullpen had allowed one earned run over 29 2/3 the last eight games before today. But the bullpen allowed nine runs over 4 1/3 innings today.

Steve Pearce had an RBI single for the Orioles and Manny Machado added a two-run homer, his seventh. Machado hit four homers in his first 50 games and now has hit three in his past four games. Ryan Flaherty hit a three-run homer in the last of the ninth.

Nick Markakis' double in the third inning today was his 100th hit of the year. He becomes the eighth Oriole to have nine or more 100-hit seasons.

The Orioles led 4-3 heading to the sixth inning before the Rays scored seven runs to go up 10-4.

Now 4-9 on Sundays, including a 1-6 home mark, the Orioles will try to regroup and get ready for Texas, which comes to town for a four-game series. It begins Monday night when Ubaldo Jimenez (2-8, 4.70 ERA) faces lefty Joe Saunders (0-4, 5.19 ERA).