The Orioles (63-67) wrap up a three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays (76-53) on Sunday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, having won both games so far and looking to complete a sweep of a Tampa Bay team that still owns the American League's best record.
Baltimore took Saturday's game 3-2 in extra innings. Samuel Basallo got the Orioles back into it first, coming off the bench with one out in the eighth to hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer that tied the game at 2-2. Dylan Beavers delivered the actual game-winner two innings later, lining a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th to send Baltimore home with the win. Coby Mayo also contributed a 2-for-3 performance with a double. Brandon Young handled the bulk of the pitching work, going 5.2 innings and allowing two earned runs, with a string of relievers — Josh Walker, Rico Garcia, Alex Hoppe, and Andrew Kittredge — combining to throw 4.1 scoreless innings to seal it. It capped a two-game start to the series that already has Baltimore back within striking distance of a wild-card spot after a rough four-game losing streak against the Yankees earlier in the week.
Manager Craig Albernaz has been direct about what these games mean without calling any one of them a must-win. "You want to control your own destiny. You don't want to be scoreboard watching and hoping for other teams to lose," Albernaz said. "You want to play your brand of baseball and you want to win and let the chips fall where they fall. We still have the opportunity where we're playing meaningful games. We still control how the season goes."
Tampa Bay sits at the top of the American League standings despite having lost three straight, a stretch this series has been part of. The Rays send RHP Nick Martinez (12-4, 3.05 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. Shane Baz (4-13, 4.02 ERA) takes the hill for Baltimore, and his record badly undersells how he's actually pitched. Baz is tied for the most losses of any starter in baseball, but he's also received the third-least run support in the majors, with Baltimore scoring under 3.4 runs per game in his starts. "Honestly, I think I can do a whole lot better," Baz said this week. "I feel like I can go toe-to-toe with any starter in the league of not giving up first blood, not giving up runs first."
He's been particularly sharp against his former team. In two starts against Tampa Bay this season, Baz has allowed just two earned runs across 13 innings — a 1.38 ERA — including a season-high nine-strikeout outing in a 6-1 Orioles win at Camden Yards. His last five starts at home have followed the same pattern: a 3.25 ERA over that stretch, even as Baltimore has managed just one win and 2.6 runs per game in those games. A win Sunday would complete the sweep, pull the Orioles to 64-67, and mark real forward progress in a wild-card race that's stayed jammed for weeks — with the trade deadline long since passed and the roster it left behind still finding ways to make things interesting down the stretch.
Probable Starters
Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Nick Martinez (12-4, 3.05 ERA)
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Shane Baz (4-13, 4.02 ERA)
Where to Watch/Listen
First pitch: 1:35 PM ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Weather: 81°F, Mostly Clear
TV: MASN
Radio: 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WBAL NewsRadio (AM 1090 / FM 101.5)