BALTIMORE (AP) — Nick Martinez pitched six innings of one-hit ball, Junior Caminero and Chandler Simpson delivered RBI singles in the pivotal sixth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
The AL East-leading Rays had lost three straight and seven of nine before bouncing back behind Martinez (13-4), who retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced. The only flaw in his brilliant performance was Colton Cowser’s third-inning double down the right-field line.
Cam Booser worked a perfect seventh, Kevin Kelly got three straight outs in the eighth and Bryan Baker gave up a leadoff homer to Cowser in the ninth before sealing his 37th save.
Baltimore finished with three hits and failed to draw a walk for the first time in 122 games.
Martinez and former Tampa Bay starter Shane Baz were locked in a scoreless pitching duel until the sixth, when the Rays went up 3-0 after Baz got two straight outs. Yandy Díaz singled, took third on a single by Jonathan Arana and scored when Baz threw a wild pitch to Caminero.
Caminero then grounded a run-scoring single up the middle. Baz was lifted after walking Liam Hicks, and Simpson greeted Grant Wolfram with a single to center.
Baz (4-14) gave up three runs and five hits. The hard-luck righty is 0-8 in 12 starts since June 12, in part because the Orioles have provided him only 15 runs of support in those dozen outings.
It was a disappointing finish to a 2-4 homestand for Baltimore than began with three straight losses to the Yankees.
The defeat blunted Baltimore’s bid to make some progress in the crowded race for the final AL wild-card spot. The Orioles started the day one game out but tied with the Twins behind three teams.
Up next
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen (13-5, 3.01 ERA) starts Monday night in Detroit. The Orioles have Monday off before Chris Bassitt (4-4, 5.08) starts in St. Louis on Tuesday night.
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David Ginsburg, The Associated Press
