ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jeremy
Guthrie scattered two hits over six innings, Adam Jones hit a two-run
triple and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 Friday
night.
Guthrie (7-11) struck out three and
walked four in his third consecutive win. It was also his first victory
(1-4) in seven career starts at Tropicana Field.
The Orioles took a 3-0 lead in the
first when Jones drove in two with a triple and then scored on a double
by Felix Pie. Luke Scott hit his 22nd homer this season, helping
Baltimore improve to 9-2 under new manager Buck Showalter.
Koji Uehara gave up one hit in two scoreless innings before Michael Gonzalez pitched the ninth to complete a three-hitter.
James Shields (10-11) allowed four
runs and 10 hits over five-plus innings for the Rays, who have lost
seven of nine. The right-hander was coming off a 17-11 loss last
Saturday to Toronto in which he gave up six homers in four innings.
Josh Bell made it 4-0 with a
fourth-inning RBI single. Scott then extended the Orioles' advantage to
5-0 on a homer off Lance Cormier in the seventh. Scott has 10 homers and
23 RBIs over his last 24 games.
Guthrie got defensive help during the
first when right fielder Nick Markakis ran into the wall while making a
catch on Evan Longoria's long foul with two on and one out. The next
batter, Matt Joyce, ended the inning with an infield pop fly.
The Rays failed to convert on seven opportunities with runners in scoring position and are 4-for-42 over the past four games.
Notes
As part of a promotion, the
Rays wore 1970s era uniforms of the minor league Tampa Bay Tarpons,
while Baltimore featured the all orange threads the team used twice in
1971. Showalter was not a big fan of the Orioles' uniform. "Will break
out the jacket," he said before the game. … Rays 1B Carlos Pena (sore
right foot) could return Monday. … The Orioles have been outscored
87-41 in the first this season. … Tampa Bay RHPs Jeff Niemann and Wade
Davis, both out with a strained right shoulder, remain on target to
rejoin the rotation within the next two weeks.