BALTIMORE — Ryan Mountcastle hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in a four-run fifth inning that sent the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Austin Voth and five Baltimore relievers kept Tampa Bay’s offense from delivering the big hit. The Rays left 10 men on base, including six in the first three innings.
Brandon Lowe homered leading off the third for Tampa Bay, but Corey Kluber (6-6) allowed four earned runs in five innings. Nick Vespi (3-0) struck out four in 1 2/3 innings of relief to earn the win. Vespi was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game.
Ryan McKenna led off the Baltimore fifth with a single, and Cedric Mullins added a bunt single one out later. Adley Rutschman was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, and Mountcastle’s hit put the Orioles up 3-1.
Anthony Santander followed with a grounder to first, and Ji-Man Choi’s throw to second hit Mountcastle. A run came home on that play, and Austin Hays made it 5-1 with a sacrifice fly.
Voth pitched around leadoff walks in the first and second. The Rays had the bases loaded with one out in the second, but Voth was able to throw home for a force on a comebacker by Brett Phillips, and Yandy Díaz hit a flyball to end the threat.
The Orioles also loaded the bases in the second with nobody out. Rougned Odor hit a sacrifice fly, but the next two batters were retired on foul pops.
Voth allowed a run and four hits in three innings.
SNAPPED
Choi was charged with an error on his poor throw in the fifth, snapping a 10-game errorless streak for the Rays. That tied a club record last reached in 2011.
TURNAROUND
Tampa Bay went 18-1 against the Orioles in 2021, but Baltimore has won six of 13 meetings this year.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: Tampa Bay has ruled OF Kevin Kiermaier (left hip) and C Mike Zunino (left shoulder) out for the season.
Orioles: 1B Trey Mancini, the subject of trade speculation, was given the night off. He’s in an 0-for-22 slump.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan (10-3) makes his first appearance since starting the All-Star Game last week. He faces Baltimore’s Spenser Watkins (3-1) on Tuesday night.
