ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ramón Urías hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, Ryan Mountcastle drove in three runs and the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-5 on Saturday night.
Baltimore took a one-game lead over the Yankees in the division after New York split a doubleheader with Texas.
“We are watching the games,” Urías said. “Feels good to have the advantage again. Just keep competing and focus on our side.”
The Orioles are 8-1 against the Rays this season, including going 6-0 on the road.
Baltimore raced to a 4-0 lead after two innings, but squandered that advantage. Urías hit a two-run homer off Colin Poche (1-2) in a three-run eighth inning that put the Orioles up 7-4. Poche left after Mountcastle’s RBI single went off the back of his leg.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Poche is OK.
Pinch-hitter Jose Siri cut the Rays’ deficit to 7-5 with a two-out, base-loaded walk off Cionel Pérez in the eighth. The reliever then got a fly ball from José Caballero to end the inning.
Seranthony Domínguez worked the ninth and earned his second save in three chances.
Craig Kimbrel, who is fifth all-time with 440 saves, last pitched on August 6 and hasn’t been in for the ninth over his last three appearances.
“I’m just trying to get Kimbrel going a little bit,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Has got a little bit of a rough patch. We have a lot of faith in Craig.”
The Rays tied it at 4 in the seventh on Caballero’s solo homer against Burch Smith (4-0).
Tampa Bay has dropped four of five and fell to .500 at 58-58
Josh Lowe singled for the Rays’ first hit off Corbin Burnes with one out in the fifth and scored from third on catcher Adley Rutschman’s throwing error on Caballero’s steal of second. Consecutive RBI doubles by Alex Jackson, who was hitting .110, and Jonny DeLuca got the Rays within 4-3.
Burnes, who came up short in a bid for a career-high 13th win, allowed three runs and four hits in six innings.
Rutschman had a run-scoring double and Mountcastle drove in two with a single off Rays opener Drew Rasmussen in the first. Rasmussen allowed three runs and four hits over one inning in his second outing since having right elbow internal brace surgery last year.
Jackson Holliday made it 4-0 when he led off the second inning with a homer off Tyler Alexander. Holliday has scored a run and picked up an RBI in seven of his last eight games.
Alexander gave up one run and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Rutschman, Mountcastle, Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson each had three. Henderson entered the game hitless in his previous 16 at-bats.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder strain) will be shut down from throwing for at least 10 days, but is expected back this season.
Rays: Ace Shane McClanahan (Tommy John surgery) threw 21 pitches off a bullpen mound. … RHP Ryan Pepiot (right knee infection) allowed one hit, two walks and struck out seven in 3 1/3 scoreless innings for Double-A Montgomery.
UP NEXT
Orioles RHP Albert Suárez (5-4, 3.66 ERA) and Rays LHP Jeffrey Springs (0-1, 6.23 ERA) are Sunday’s starters.
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