Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) – Carl Crawford went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, as the Tampa Bay Rays beat Baltimore, 4-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Camden Yards.
Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist and Reid Brignac each knocked in a run for the Rays, who have won five of their last six games. Matt Garza (14-7) gave up a run on five hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings.
Tampa Bay remained 1 1/2 games behind first-place New York in the American League East standings.
Orioles starter Kevin Millwood (3-15) yielded four runs on seven hits and walked five in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss.
The Rays scored two runs in both the third and fourth innings.
Brignac singled to open the third, took second on a groundout and came home on a two-out single by Crawford. Longoria followed with a double to plate the speedy Crawford.
Matt Joyce walked to begin the fourth, and consecutive one-out singles by B.J. Upton and Brignac produced a run. After John Jaso walked to load the bases, Zobrist lofted a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
A sac fly by Felix Pie put Baltimore on the board in the bottom of the fourth.
Tampa Bay relievers combined to allow just two hits over the final 3 1/3 innings.
Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth to register his major league-leading 41st save.
Rays starter Matt Garza had made remarks Thursday about “payback” and making Orioles hitters “uncomfortable” in response to the last time he faced Baltimore, a game in which he gave up four home runs. But the game passed without incident, at least between the two teams. However, when Garza was relieved by manager Joe Maddon in the sixth, he let his skipper have an earful. "There was something he had said walking off the mound, and I didn’t appreciate it,’’ Maddon said. “So we reviewed it when I got to the dugout.”
Game Notes
The Rays opened a nine-game road trip…Garza improved to 9-1 in 12 career starts against the O’s…Baltimore reliever Mark Hendrickson struck out five in three scoreless innings…Tampa Bay is 10-3 versus Baltimore this season.
09/03 22:37:53 ET