Currently: - Game info: 7:15 pm EDT Tue Apr 12, 2005
- TV: CSN, WPXM
The Baltimore Orioles hope star slugger Sammy Sosa finds his home run swing during their three-game series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Sosa has struggled in the early going, hitting .200 (5-for-25) without an RBI. However he did show some signs of life in Sunday’s 7-2 win over the New York Yankees, going 2-for-4.
Acquired in a trade from the Chicago Cubs in February, Sosa hasn’t seen the Devil Rays since his infamous corked bat incident two years ago. He is 26 homers short of 600.
One day after wasting a four-run lead in an 8-5 loss, Baltimore had 14 hits and won a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 1997, taking two of three and getting 43 hits.
“This is my fifth year here, and winning two out of three in New York is a rarity,” Orioles designated hitter Jay Gibbons said. “Winning a series is always big and it always seems to be bigger against New York.”
Baltimore now hopes to continue its momentum against Tampa Bay. The Orioles are just 27-30 all-time at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay had a chance to sweep a three-game series with Oakland, but lost 6-1 on Sunday.
The Devil Rays managed eight hits, but stranded seven runners.
“That’s going to happen every now and then,” Devil Rays second baseman Jorge Cantu said. “We’ve just got to continue to swing the bats, just have to continue hitting.”
Tampa Bay’s streak of nine consecutive stolen base attempts ended in the fifth inning when center fielder Joey Gathright was thrown out attempting to swipe second.
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