Recap: Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore
Sports Network | August 30, 2008
St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Rocco Baldelli's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a wild 10-9 Tampa Bay win over Baltimore in the middle contest of a three-game set from Tropicana Field. Against Rocky Cherry (0-2), B.J. Upton struck out looking. Carlos Pena followed with a walk, then trucked home when Baldelli laced a double to left. Upton, Pena and Baldelli each drove in two runs for the Rays, who rebounded from a four-run deficit to win. The club has taken the first two games of the series and have won four straight overall. Tampa upped its lead over Boston in the AL East to five games, with the Red Sox and White Sox game to be decided later in the evening. Dan Wheeler (3-5) got the win despite allowing a tying homer in the top of the ninth. Starter Andy Sonnanstine lasted just 3 1/3 innings, charged with seven hits and six runs -- five earned, while allowing a pair of homers. Aubrey Huff hit a three-run home run for the Orioles, who have lost five of their last six. Ramon Hernandez drove in two, Nick Markakis collected four hits and a home run, while Jay Payton homered and scored twice. O's starter Chris Waters yielded eight hits and five runs over 4 1/3 frames, striking out two but walking four. Brian Roberts began the game with a single and scored when Payton launched a two-run homer to left. The Rays countered in their at-bat when Ben Zobrist drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, then went ahead 3-2 in the second on a two-run double from Upton. Huff's three-run shot in the third put the O's back on top 5-3, and a Roberts sacrifice fly in the fourth upped the lead to three. In the fifth, Huff led off with a double and scored when Hernandez singled to right, opening up a 7-3 edge. Tampa responded with two in the home half on Dioner Navarro's RBI double and a Gabe Gross groundout. The Rays could have come within one but after Jason Bartlett's single, Navarro was thrown out at the plate for the final out of the frame. The home club forged ahead in the sixth. Facing Lance Cormier, Akinori Iwamura walked after a disputed third strike call was reversed by third base umpire Sam Holbrook and Upton unloaded a ground-rule double. Dennis Sarfate entered but promptly gave up a two-run double from Pena. Pena moved to third on a wild pitch and Sarfate hit Baldelli, before Willy Aybar's double-play ball scored Pena for an 8-7 Rays edge. Payton singled to start the seventh and later scored the tying run on a sac fly from Hernandez, but Tampa struck back in the home half with a two-out run when Orioles reliever Alberto Castillo plunked Baldelli to force in a run. Wheeler fanned the first two batters in the ninth before giving up a homer to Markakis which knotted the game, 9-9. Game Notes Tampa has won the last seven meetings and 10 of 13 this season...Pena and Iwamura each scored three times...Brian Roberts, Markakis and Huff all scored two runs for Baltimore...Prior to the contest, the O's recalled infielder Oscar Salazar from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned pitcher Radhames Liz to Norfolk...The Rays improved to 23-6 at home against the AL East...Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora strained his left hamstring Friday and did not play. He was replaced by Huff. Game Notes Tampa has won the last seven meetings and 10 of 13 this season...Pena and Iwamura each scored three times...Brian Roberts, Markakis and Huff all scored two runs for Baltimore...Prior to the contest, the O's recalled infielder Oscar Salazar from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned pitcher Radhames Liz to Norfolk...The Rays improved to 23-6 at home against the AL East...Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora strained his left hamstring Friday and did not play. He was replaced by Huff.
