BALTIMORE (AP) — Jorge Mateo hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the sixth inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Friday night.
It was the first meeting of the season between the teams after the Orioles (101-61) edged the Rays (99-63) in a fierce race for the AL East title last year. Baltimore scored all three of its runs in the sixth after Tampa Bay’s Aaron Civale took a shutout into that inning.
Civale left after Anthony Santander’s one-out single, and Richard Lovelady (1-4) allowed singles to Colton Cowser and pinch-hitter Austin Hays, the latter of which tied the game. After Rámon Urías struck out, Phil Maton came on and yielded Mateo’s drive to left-center field that scored both runners.
“He’s gotten huge hits for us,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He hit that ball on a line to the deep part of the ballpark. … When he stays on the baseball, really good things happen. If he can lay off the slider off the plate and try to get one on the plate, he can really drive the baseball.”
Cionel Pérez (1-0) got the win as the first of five Baltimore relievers after Albert Suárez worked five innings. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 16 chances.
Suárez had a high pitch count early, but allowed only one run and four hits with two walks while striking out five. The 34-year-old journeyman might have a spot in the rotation for a while after the Orioles announced before the game that John Means and Tyler Wells need elbow surgery and will miss the rest of the season.
Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Ben Rortvedt in the second.
The Rays selected right-hander Justin Sterner from Triple-A Durham and optioned lefty Tyler Alexander to Durham. The 27-year-old Sterner, who went to BYU following a two-year mission in Samoa and eventually signed with the Miami Marlins as an undrafted free agent in 2020, entered in the seventh to make his big league debut and threw two scoreless innings.
“I got the call for the first pitch, and then my whole body just went numb,” Sterner said. “I was like, ‘Well, hopefully this goes over the plate.’ I honestly don’t remember if it did, but then after that it felt good.”
Tampa Bay’s Jose Siri was ejected after striking out in the ninth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: INF Jordan Westburg missed a second straight game after being hit by a pitch around the hand.
UP NEXT
Baltimore’s Kyle Bradish (1-0) takes the mound Saturday against Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley (1-2). Bradish threw seven no-hit innings and struck out 11 in his most recent start Sunday.
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