The Tampa Bay Rays ended a recent skid Sunday with a decisive victory over the Baltimore Orioles, preventing a three-game sweep in Baltimore. Pitcher Nick Martinez was dominant on the mound, allowing just a single hit across six innings while retiring 18 of 19 batters faced. The only blemish on his stellar performance came in the third inning when Colton Cowser doubled down the right-field line. The Rays broke through offensively in the sixth, with Junior Caminero and Chandler Simpson each delivering run-scoring singles to propel Tampa Bay to a 3-1 win. The bullpen was equally effective, with three relievers combining for three scoreless innings to close out the game.
The victory proved significant for Tampa Bay, which had dropped three consecutive games and seven of its last nine before bouncing back. Martinez improved his season record to 13-4 with the strong outing. Baltimore’s offense struggled throughout the matchup, managing only three hits while failing to draw a single walk—a notable streak-breaking performance as the Orioles had not gone without a walk in 122 consecutive games entering the contest.
The Rays’ bullpen work sealed the victory, with Cam Booser pitching a perfect seventh inning, Kevin Kelly retiring three straight in the eighth, and Bryan Baker earning his 37th save despite allowing a solo homer to Cowser in the ninth inning.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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