ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — All-Star Shane McClanahan stopped a two-start losing streak, working six solid innings as the Tampa Bay Rays moved back in front of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL wild-card race with an 8-2 victory on Saturday.
The benches and bullpens briefly emptied after Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks struck out Robinson Chirinos to end the eighth. Fairbanks seemed unhappy earlier in the at-bat when Chirinos was granted a late timeout, and he said something to the Orioles catcher when leaving the mound. Chirinos spun around and headed toward the pitcher.
Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle was hit by a pitch from former Oriole Jimmy Yacabonis with two outs in the ninth. It appeared to be unintentional and tempers remained calm.
McClanahan (11-5) gave up two runs, seven hits and three walks, and had five strikeouts to help the Rays improve to 8-12 since the All-Star break.
Jose Siri had three hits and scored three runs, including on Taylor Walls’ two-run homer in the eighth.
Baltimore starter DL Hall (0-1) allowed five runs, five hits and three walks along with six strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings in his major league debut.
The Orioles lost for the third time in 11 games, falling one-half game behind Tampa Bay after Friday's win put them ahead of the Rays in the AL East and wild-card standings. The three-game series concludes Sunday.
Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo, coming off a 5-for-5 performance Friday night, singled in his first at-bat and finished 1 for 3 with a walk.
Hall walked his first batter, Yu Chang, on four pitches in the first.
Chang scored on Isaac Paredes’ grounder to make it 1-0. Paredes remained at the plate after it appeared the ball deflected off his leg, but the ball was not called foul. Orioles third baseman Ramón Urías fielded the ball and momentarily held onto it before throwing to first.
After Hall struck out the side in the second, he opened the third by walking Walls. Tampa Bay scored three times with two outs to go up 4-2.
Randy Arozarena had an RBI double, Paredes hit a run-scoring double and Francisco Mejia drove in a run with a single.
Arozarena has 35 RBIs in 36 games against Baltimore.
Tampa Bay went ahead 5-2 in the fourth when Siri singled, stole second and third, and crossed the plate on Chang’s sacrifice fly.
Chang knocked in Siri to make it 6-2 with a two-out single in the sixth.
Baltimore took a 2-1 lead in the second on RBI singles by Rougned Odor and Chirinos. Mountcastle lined out to short with the bases loaded and two outs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: SS Wander Franco (right hamate surgery) and OFs Harold Ramierz (broken right thumb) and Manuel Margot (right patellar tendon strain) are all expected back this month.
UP NEXT
Orioles RHP Jordan Lyles (9-8, 4.35 ERA) and Tampa Bay RHP Drew Rasmussen (6-4, 2.96) are Sunday’s starters.
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