TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays scored four runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Wednesday afternoon at George Steinbrenner Field. Baltimore took a 1-0 lead in the third when Pete Alonso singled in Taylor Ward. The Orioles added two runs in the sixth on solo home runs by Alonso and Samuel Basallo. Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Rays struck back. Jonathan Aranda doubled to center to score Chandler Simpson and Oliver Dunn, tying the game. Richie Palacios followed with a single that drove in Aranda for the go-ahead run. Tampa Bay’s Jesse Scholtens (5-2) earned the win with four innings of relief, allowing two runs on six hits. Ian Seymour notched his second save with a scoreless ninth. Baltimore’s Anthony Nunez (2-1) took the loss. Shane Baz started for Baltimore, striking out six over six innings and allowing one earned run. Steven Matz fanned five in four innings for Tampa Bay. The Rays improved to 33-15, while the Orioles fell to 21-30. Attendance was 11,846, with a game time of 2:31.

TAMPA (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for four runs in the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 at George Steinbrenner Field, extending their winning streak to three and improving the best record in the American League to 33-15. Baltimore, which had taken a 3-1 lead on solo home runs by Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo in the sixth inning, could not hold the advantage as the Rays erupted against Orioles reliever Anthony Nunez. The loss dropped Baltimore to 21-30. Jesse Scholtens earned the victory with four innings of relief, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four. He improved to 5-2. Nunez took the loss, falling to 2-1, after surrendering four runs on four hits in the decisive eighth. Ian Seymour recorded his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning. The game was played before a crowd of 11,846 and lasted 2 hours, 31 minutes. Tampa Bay struck first in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, catcher Hunter Feduccia hit a solo home run to center field, his first of the season, giving the Rays a 1-0 lead. Baltimore answered in the third. Taylor Ward walked and Gunnar Henderson singled, putting runners at first and second with one out. After Adley Rutschman struck out, Alonso lined a sharp single to left field, scoring Ward and tying the game 1-1. Both starting pitchers worked effectively through the middle innings. Baltimore’s Shane Baz allowed one run on three hits over four innings, striking out five. Tampa Bay’s Steven Matz matched him, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts in four innings. The Orioles broke the tie in the sixth. Alonso led off with a home run to right field, his ninth of the season, giving Baltimore a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Basallo followed with a solo shot to right, his seventh, extending the lead to 3-1. Jeremiah Jackson singled but was stranded. Tampa Bay’s offense remained quiet until the eighth. Nunez entered to start the inning and immediately allowed a bunt single to Feduccia. Taylor Walls popped out, then Chandler Simpson grounded into a force out, erasing Feduccia. Junior Caminero singled to right, moving Simpson to third. Jonathan Aranda then delivered the key blow, a ground-rule double to center field that scored Simpson and Caminero, tying the game 3-3. Aranda’s hit was the turning point. Ryan Vilade walked, and Richie Palacios followed with a single to right, scoring Aranda and giving the Rays a 4-3 lead. Jonny DeLuca then lined out, but not before a second run scored on the play, as Vilade came home on a throwing error to make it 5-3. The Rays’ bullpen, which had been under pressure after Baltimore’s two-homer inning, shut the door. Scholtens retired the Orioles in order in the seventh and worked through a mild threat in the eighth, when Baltimore put two runners on with one out but failed to score. Seymour closed the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two. Alonso finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Gunnar Henderson had three hits for Baltimore. For Tampa Bay, Junior Caminero went 2-for-4 with a run, and Aranda drove in two runs with his double. The series continued a recent trend in the rivalry. In the two previous meetings this week, Tampa Bay outscored Baltimore 20-7, winning 4-1 on Tuesday and 16-6 on Monday. The Orioles had won three of their previous five games entering the series, including a 7-3 victory at Washington on Sunday. Baltimore’s offense has struggled on the road this season. The Orioles entered the game with a 9-17 record away from Camden Yards and have lost eight of their last 10 road contests. The Rays, meanwhile, have been dominant at home, improving to 19-6 at Steinbrenner Field. The Orioles will return home to face the Detroit Tigers on Friday, May 22, in the first of a three-game series. The Rays travel to New York for a three-game set against the Yankees starting Friday. Wednesday’s result continued Tampa Bay’s strong pitching performance overall. The Rays’ bullpen entered the game with a 3.47 ERA, and the combination of Scholtens and Seymour has been especially effective. Scholtens has allowed two or fewer runs in five of his seven relief appearances this season. For Baltimore, the loss extended a difficult stretch. The Orioles have dropped five of their last six games, with the lone win coming in a 7-3 victory over Washington. The middle of the order, led by Alonso and Basallo, has provided power but the team has struggled to generate consistent scoring beyond the home run. The game also featured several challenged calls. In the second inning, a pitch result was overturned on an appeal, leading to a strikeout for Baltimore’s Jeremiah Jackson. In the third, a pitch result reversal gave Taylor Ward a walk. Both reviews were initiated by the teams and were decided quickly. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash used four pitchers in the game, with Matz starting, Scholtens taking over in the fifth, and Seymour finishing. Baltimore’s Baz was followed by Nunez and one other reliever. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tampa Bay 7, Baltimore 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Tampa Bay a 60.90 percent probability to win. Baltimore had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of eight went over the over-under line of 8.5.

Orioles at Rays Preview ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays host the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, with first pitch scheduled for the early afternoon. The forecast calls for 89-degree temperatures and rain. Baltimore (21-27) sends right-hander Shane Baz (1-5) to the mound. Tampa Bay (31-15) has not yet announced its starter. The Rays have won the first two games of this series, including a 16-6 rout Monday. Tampa Bay has outscored Baltimore 18-7 in the two contests. Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman has been productive against the Rays this series, going 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in Monday’s loss. In his past 10 games, Rutschman has three homers and eight RBIs, though he has also endured four hitless outings. Rays designated hitter Yandy Díaz enters the game on a tear. Díaz went 4 for 5 with four RBIs on Monday against Baltimore and has hit safely in seven of his past nine games, including three multi-hit performances. He has driven in eight runs over that span. Baltimore third baseman Weston Wilson (2 for 4, HR, RBI) and designated hitter Pete Alonso (3 for 5, two RBIs) also had strong showings in Monday’s defeat. Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero (2 for 4, HR, four RBIs) and right fielder Ryan Vilade (3 for 3, three RBIs) were the other offensive standouts for the Rays in the series opener. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 Tampa Bay victory. Baltimore is favored by 1.5 runs. The over/under is 8.5 runs. Following this game, Baltimore returns home for a three-game series against Detroit starting Friday. Tampa Bay travels to New York for a three-game set with the Yankees beginning Friday.