The Rays are in the midst of the worst stretch in team history. Coming out of the All Star Break and into the unofficial second half of the 2016 MLB season, they were also in the midst of a six-game losing streak. They’re last win? July 4th against the Angels. The worse news? That win against the Angels was their only in in the month of July…so far.
It’s okay, though.
They get the first-place Orioles to kick off the second half…
GAME 1
Orioles 4 Rays 3
Chris Archer pitched into the eighth inning and didn’t give up a run until the third but wound up being responsible for all four runs the Orioles scored in come from behind fashion. The Rays took a 3-1 lead into the fifth inning before things started to get a bit messy. Jonathan Schoop hit his 15th bomb off Archer in the eighth inning to cap off the comeback for Baltimore. The Rays offense managed just three runs on nine hits off Orioles pitching in the loss. Rookie catcher, Luke Maile, did finish the evening 2-for-3 with an RBI in his first game back in the Majors after being called up for the demoted Hank Conger.
W: Givens (7-1) L: Archer (4-13) S: Britton (28)
GAME 2
Orioles 2 Rays 1
It was shortstop J.J. Hardy’s 2-run bomb in the second inning off Rays starter, Matt Moore, that would be enough for Baltimore to secure a series victory. Moore, who pitched his eighth straight outing of six or more innings, shut down the Baltimore offense after Hardy’s home run but the Rays offense couldn’t back him up. The lone run came off a Logan Morrison triple that was called so after a replay ruled it was not a home run in the fourth inning after Steven Souza Jr singled him home in the very next at bat. Chris Tillman was masterful for the Orioles, picking up his 13th win of the season.
W: Tillman (13-2) L: Moore (5-7) S: Britton (29)
GAME 3
Rays 5 Orioles 2
Evan Longoria’s two home run game along with a solid start from Jake Odorizzi that saw the righty pitch in and out of jams all afternoon finally got the Rays back into the win column. Odorizzi went six innings allowing just a single run on seven hits while striking out seven. Brad Miller and Oswaldo Arcia also hit dingers in the victory while the Rays bullpen of Erasmo Ramirez pitched two innings of shut out, dominate baseball to make way for All Star closer, Alex Colome, who slammed the door shut in the ninth for his 20th save of the year in as many tries.
W: Odorizzi (4-5) L: Bundy (2-2) S: Colome (20)
NEXT UP:
The Rays travel to Colorado to begin a nine-game road trip to the west coast where they’ll visit Oakland and Los Angeles after their three-games with the Rockies beginning Monday.
PROBABLES v ROCKIES:
7/18 – Drew Smyly (2-10, 5.47) v Tyler Anderson (1-3, 3.03)
7/19 – Blake Snell (1-4, 3.69) v Tyler Chatwood (8-5, 3.29)
7/20 – Chris Archer (4-13, 4.68) v Jorge De La Rosa (6-6, 5.50)
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