Games 36 and 37: Baltimore 6 Rays 3, Rays 10 Baltimore 3 — Postgame News and Notes

Tampa Bay took leads in both games of a double header on Saturday with first inning homers. The Rays ended up splitting the twinball, pulling away with a 10–3 win in the nightcap after a 6–3 loss in game one.

In the nightcap, Tampa Bay (16–21) scored in all but two innings, snapping a five-game skid. Mallex Smith had two doubles and a triple and Brad Miller tripled and homered.

C.J. Cron homered to starting the scoring in the first off Alex Cobb, giving Tampa Bay a lead against the former Rays righty. Trey Mancini answered against Matt Andriese in the bottom of the first.

That was the only hit Andriese allowed in three innings. Meanwhile, the Rays scored in each of the first four innings against Cobb. In the second, Miller tripled to left, and scored on a Daniel Robertson groundout, putting the Rays in front 2–1.

In the third, Joey Wendle came up with a bases-loaded sac fly and Miller extended the lead to 4–1 in the fourth with a solo homer to right.

The game was delayed in the sixth by rain for an hour and 19 minutes. Andrew Kittredge got the last two outs in the fifth, stayed in the game after the lengthy delay and immediately allowed a double in the sixth to Caleb Joseph. Mancini singled to center, making it 4–2. Chaz Roe entered and Adam Jones hit a ground double up the right field line to put the tying runs in scoring position with none out. Roe struck out Manny Machado for the first out, but Jonathan Schoop made it a one-run game with an RBI groundout. Jose Alvarado struck out Chris Davis to keep the Rays in front.

The Rays then began to pull away, scoring a run in the seventh on a Baltimore error, two in the eighth on a Smith double and a bases loaded walk to Cron. Then in the ninth Tampa Bay capped the scoring on a two-run triple by Smith and a Carlos Gomez single. Jose Alvarado, Jonny Venters and Alex Colome threw scoreless baseball over the final 3.1 innings.

In the first inning of game one, the Rays took a 3–0 lead four batters into the ballgame against David Hess, who was making his MLB debut. Cron and Wendle singled to center, and Matt Duffy followed with a first-pitch three-run homer to left-center.

However, that lead only lasted for one inning, as Chris Archer gave up three runs back in the second. Archer, who entered the day with a 6.70 ERA at Camden Yards, allowed a leadoff homer to Schoop to make it 3–1. With one out, Mark Trumbo singled to right-center, and scored when Chance Sisco doubled off the left-center field wall. With two out and Sisco at third, number nine hitter Jace Peterson walked. Peterson then stole second and Sisco broke for home and scored on the throw to second, tying the game at three.

In the next inning, Archer gave up back-to-back first pitch homers to Manny Machado and Schoop, and the Rays trailed from there on out.

Baltimore tacked on a run in the sixth when Trumbo doubled to left-center off Archer, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.

Hess went the first six innings, and Baltimore’s bullpen kept Tampa Bay at bay from there on out. The Rays had just a pair of Wendle singles after the opening inning against Hess, and four total hits after the opening frame. Tampa native Mychal Givens recorded the final five outs for his first MLB save.

The Rays will look to split the series on Sunday with Blake Snell (4–2 2.40) starting opposite Dylan Bundy (1–5 5.31). Coverage on the Rays Radio Network begins at 11:30 with This Week in Rays Baseball. Mallex Smith will be the featured guest. The pregame show starts at 12:30 and Dave and Andy will have the call with first pitch at 1:05.