Rays vs Orioles Recap: Orioles pounce for 6-1 win

The Tampa Bay Rays rolled into Baltimore on Tuesday night riding a tough three-game losing streak. The Orioles had just beaten them the night before in an epic 13-inning marathon that went 9-7. Both teams were hungry to win. Shane Baz took the mound for Baltimore with a chance to help the Orioles climb back into the race. The Rays countered with Griffin Jax on the hill. Despite their recent struggles, Tampa Bay's All-Star Jonathan Aranda and powerful hitter Yandy Diaz looked ready to battle. But Baltimore had other plans. The Orioles would dominate this one from start to finish, crushing the Rays 6-1 at Camden Yards to grab back-to-back wins and momentum heading forward.

The scoring started fast. Jonathan Aranda lined a single to right field in the first inning, and Chandler Simpson raced home to give Tampa Bay an early 1-0 lead. But Baltimore answered back hard in the second. Blaze Alexander grounded into a fielder's choice, and Samuel Basallo scored to tie it. Then Jackson Holliday ripped a single to left, driving in Taveras to make it 2-1 Orioles. Taylor Ward lifted a sacrifice fly to center, and another run crossed the plate. The real damage came in the fifth inning. Basallo stepped up with runners in scoring position and crushhed a towering blast to right-center field that traveled 405 feet. The ball exploded off his bat. Two more runs scored on that monster shot. Baltimore led 6-1 and controlled the entire game.

Griffin Jax pitched hard for Tampa Bay but took a scary hit in the second inning. A line drive off the bat traveled at 107 miles per hour and struck him in the back. He was pulled from the game when the Rays took the field for the third. The medical staff diagnosed him with a back contusion. Despite the injury, Baltimore's Shane Baz was nearly unhittable. He pitched seven innings, allowed only seven hits, and struck out nine Rays batters. His control was sharp. The Orioles' bullpen came in and finished the job clean. Grant Wolfram and Andrew Kittredge each pitched a scoreless inning. The Rays couldn't mount any comeback. Final score: Baltimore 6, Tampa Bay 1. The Orioles improved to 25-30 and won their second straight game. Tampa Bay dropped to 34-19 after this loss.