Smyly sharp as Rays down Orioles 3-1

Drew Smyly shutdown the Orioles over seven innings while Kevin Gausman proved just hittable enough for the Rays to prevail Wednesday night over the Orioles 3-1 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The first inning provided offense for the Rays but even so had another baserunning mistake. Ben Zobrist started the rally with a double of the wall in right field and moved to third on a wild pitch thrown by Gausman. Matt Joyce hit a grounder right at Jonathan Schoop manning second base at normal depth. Schoop attempting to throw Zobrist, who was running on contact, out at home but the long throw was late, allowing Zobrist to score. Evan Longoria continued the rally with a single into left past shortstop JJ Hardy, moving Joyce to second base. It was on the following play, a James Loney single to right, that Longoria committed a costly baserunning mistake. Joyce, at second, advanced to third and stopped. Longoria, on the other hand, rounded second and ran all the way to third base and into an out. Instead of bases loaded and one out, the Rays had runners on the corners and two outs. The mistake would ultimately hurt the Rays but wouldn't prevent them from putting up a crooked number in the inning. Wil Myers hit a bloop single to shallow right, scoring Joyce from third and moving Loney to third. Yunel Escobar grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Drew Smyly worked around a walk to Steve Pearce in the bottom of the first without allowing a run or hit.

The Rays scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third off Gausman. Ryan Hanigan ledoff the inning by reaching on JJ Hardy's errant throw. Kevin Kiermaier struck out but a Desmond Jennings double to right moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Zobrist brought Hanigan home with a sacrifice fly to deep right. The inning ended with Joyce striking out looking with Jennings on third base with the score 3-0 in favor of the Rays.

The Orioles snatched a run in the bottom of the inning on a Chris Davis homerun, his 23rd of the year, muscled to right on a pitch down and away from him. That's all the Orioles would get off Smyly in the second and the score read 3-1, the Rays still in front.

TJ McFarland replaced Gausman in the top of the fifth inning, Gausman proving hittable in this contest. The Rays put men on first and second against McFarland in the fifth on an error and hit but were ultimately unable to score.

Smyly allowed a two out single in the sixth inning to Pearce, breaking a streak of twelve straight hitters retired. He stranded Pearce at second after Pearce stole second base.

Brad Boxberger came on in relief of Smyly, who allowed only two hits and a walk, in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Orioles got a baserunner on a Longoria error but no runs, hits or walks.

Yunel Escobar hit a double to center in the bottom of the eighth inning off Darren O'Day but was stranded at second.

Jake McGee came in to close down this contest and did just that, setting down the Orioles 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth.

Notes

-David Price struggled against the Yankees, allowing twelve hits and eight runs in a two inning outing.

-The Rays will go for a series split against the Orioles tomorrow night as Jeremy Hellickson takes the hill against Bud Norris at 7:05 ET in Baltimore.