Randy Arozarena belted two home runs and Jeffrey Springs threw 5 2/3 shutout innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the host Baltimore Orioles 6-1 and spoiled the debut of heralded catcher Adley Rutschman on Saturday night.
Kevin Kiermaier also homered as the Rays bounced back from a 13-inning loss from a night earlier.
It was the first game for Rutschman, who was the overall No. 1 draft selection in 2019 and called up from Triple-A Norfolk. He struck out and walked before lacing a triple down the right-field line with one out in the seventh inning off reliever Ralph Garza Jr.
Arozarena posted the fifth two-homer game of his career, with three of them coming against Baltimore.
Kyle Bradish (1-3) took the loss, lasting 5 1/3 innings. The Orioles didn’t score until Trey Mancini’s two-out RBI single in the eighth.
Springs (2-1) allowed only an infield single to Mancini before two walks in the sixth inning resulted in his departure. It was his longest outing of the season, giving up four walks and striking out seven.
Friday night’s 8-6 outcome in favor of the Orioles snapped Tampa Bay’s 15-game winning streak in matchups vs. Baltimore. The Rays wasted little time in re-establishing dominance, winning for the third time in their last four games.
Arozarena’s two-run home run put the Rays up in the first inning. He hit a solo shot in the fourth, giving him four homers this season.
The lead grew to 5-0 with two runs in the sixth, including Kiermaier scoring on Ji-Man Choi’s sacrifice fly. Then Kiermaier’s third hit of the game was a massive homer to right field leading off the eighth.
Rutschman batted sixth in the order. He finished 1-for-3. Mancini notched two of the team’s six hits.
The Orioles lost for the seventh time in their last nine games.
The Rays have won 28 of their last 31 meetings with Baltimore.
–Field Level Media
