Mancini's 2-run double sends Orioles past Rays in 9th
Trey Mancini hit a go-ahead, two-run double to left field in the ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles blew a late lead but came back to trim the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
With Tampa Bay on top 4-3, Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo, who homered earlier in the game, opened the top of the ninth with a single against Rays closer Sergio Romo (2-3). Danny Valencia also singled, sending pinch runner Jace Peterson to third. Joey Rickard pinch-ran for Valencia and stole second.
Both runs scored on Mancini's double, his second hit of the game.
Baltimore right-hander Mychal Givens survived the bottom of the ninth to record his third save. The Rays' Mallex Smith reached on a two-out error, Baltimore's fourth miscue of the game, stole second and went to third when catcher Caleb Joseph's throw went into center field for error No. 5.
The game ended when Matt Duffy hit a hard line drive to second.
The Rays, stymied most of the night by Orioles right-hander Andrew Cashner, took advantage of bad Baltimore defense to tie the game in the seventh. Aided by an error, Tampa Bay scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Perez to shallow left field that drove in Carlos Gomez.
In the eighth, Gomez doubled in the go-ahead run against Baltimore reliever Mike Wright Jr., who replaced Tanner Scott with two runners on and one out. Wright (3-0) struck out pinch hitter C.J. Cron before Gomez's double but got the win when the Orioles rallied.
Cashner gave up only four hits and was victimized by three Baltimore errors, two in the first inning, when the Rays bunched three soft hits to score two runs.
Jake Bauers and Joey Wendle singled in runs in the inning to tie the game at 2-2 after the Orioles scored two in the top of the first. Just one out into the contest, Tim Beckham and Adam Jones hit consecutive pitches for home runs against Ryne Stanek.
Trumbo added his blast to right-center in the fourth inning against the Rays' second pitcher, lefty Jalen Beeks.
After the runs scored in the first, Cashner retired 10 in a row and 17 of 18 through the sixth inning. He wound up charged with three runs (one earned) in seven innings. He yielded four hits and a walk while striking out two.
Beeks went five innings for the Rays, allowing only the home run to Trumbo. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out three.
--Field Level Media
