Rays 6, Orioles 8: Early deficit too much for Rays to overcome

The Rays returned to the Trop to face the second place Orioles after a seven game trip out west during which they went 3-4, dropping the first and last two games. With Tyler Glasnow on the bump, the Rays had to feel pretty good about their chances to end their two game skid and avoid their first three game losing streak of the season.

The Orioles offense had other plans, piling it on in the first two innings and leaving the Rays offense too large of a deficit to overcome.

Orioles starter Kyle Bradish took the early lead and ran with it, holding the Rays scoreless over the first four frames.

After allowing a three run bomb in the first to Aaron Hicks and a two run bomb in the second to Anthony Santander, Tyler Glasnow found himself and the Rays in a 6-0 hole. Glasnow would make it 4.1 innings, striking out seven and walking two.

The Orioles would tack on another run via the long ball in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 7-0. This time it was Ryan O’Hearn with a solo shot.

The Rays would finally answer in the bottom half of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs to cut the deficit to five runs.

Francisco Mejia doubled to center and drove in Isaac Paredes to make the score 7-1. Then, Wander Franco drove home Mejia on a perfectly placed, bloop single to left. The score stood at 7-2.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Rays would respond in a big way, scoring four runs and cutting the O’s lead to just one run.

Isaac Paredes got the party started with an RBI single, driving in Harold Ramirez. Yandy Diaz then singled home Paredes. After Wander Franco walked to load the bases with two outs, Manuel Margot pinch-hit for Luke Raley. Margot laced a single to left-center, scoring Walls and Diaz.

Both bullpens put up a scoreless frame in the seventh, but the Rays pen faltered in the eighth, surrendering a run on an Aaron Hicks RBI single. The O’s would take an 8-6 lead and that score would hold as the final score.

The dynamic duo of Cano and Bautista shut things down, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings to close out the game.

Nonetheless, the Rays made something out of a game that could have easily gotten out of hand. Now, they will look to bounce back tomorrow and get back in the winning column.