Orioles use ‘added intensity’ to fuel their offense against the Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — The Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn felt prepared as he stared down Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks in the ninth inning.
The score was tied at 5 with a runner on second and sole ownership of the division lead on the line. But O’Hearn had faced Fairbanks in the final innings of Thursday and Friday’s matchups and knew he would see a mix of slider and fast ball.
“It’s kind of pick your poison with him,” O’Hearn said.
So O’Hearn waited until the closer’s slider was right where he wanted it. After working his way to a full count, he got exactly what he was looking for and sent the ball deep down the first-base line.
That hit, which drove in pinch hitter Adam Frazier, brought cheering Orioles fans to their feet and eventually turned a tie game into a 6-5 Baltimore victory.
Baltimore’s revived offense, which hadn’t managed a hit since the fifth inning, proved key. Relief pitcher Felix Bautista’s unwavering, two-strikeout performance closed the door on the Rays’ comeback bid.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde felt confident about Bautista, who now holds a 0.94 ERA, facing the Rays with the game on the line. At the top of the inning, Hyde had just one goal: scoring. Frazier’s single, followed by catcher James McCann’s sacrifice bunt and O’Hearn’s drive to leftfield made it happen.
Baltimore catcher James McCann said the team’s grit was on full display in holding off the Rays.
“When we put up that five-spot, by no means did we think they were going to lay over and give us the game,” McCann said. “I give them credit for coming back and fighting the way they did, but this team knows we’re going to grind until the last pitch.”
O’Hearn, who holds a .308 batting average in his first season in Baltimore, said he’s having the most fun of his career. And contributing, especially against the Rays, is meaningful as a newcomer to the team.
“Battling for the division is awesome,” said O’Hearn, who spent five seasons with the Royals prior to this year. “I don’t want to take it lightly.”
Hyde said there was “added intensity” with facing the Rays in Tampa Bay. The combination of good players, good teams, close games and loud home crowd has made the series fun, he said.
The game was a sellout, featuring Rays faithful cheering everything from “happy birthday” to centerfielder Jose Siri to the classic “let’s go Rays.” Orioles fans got in on it, too, yelling “Oh” during the “Star-Spangled Banner” and fist-pumping after Bautista made the final out.
Baltimore pitcher Grayson Rodriguez said he always looks forward to seeing fans on the road.
“Hearing the “Ohs” during the national anthem, it almost sounded like Camden Yards today,” he said. “It means a lot to have the fans helping us out down the stretch.”
The Rays and Orioles aren’t done with each other just yet. The battle for the AL East is just beginning to heat up, and the teams will meet five more times in the regular season. There’s been fierce competition, too; five of their seven matchups this season have been decided by fewer than three runs.
“I expect a lot of battles like that,” Rodriguez said. “It makes for a really exciting game.”
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