this baltimore orioles Wins 11 of last 14 games to top AL East
this oriole Their goal is to create a little breathing room when they play the final game of the four-game series against their rivals on Sunday tampa bay rays St. Petersburg, FL
Baltimore bounced back from an 0-3 loss on Friday and went on to take a 6-5 win for the second time in the series after taking a 5-0 lead on Saturday.This victory gave oriole lead by one inning in the division Rayswho have lost 13 of their 17 games in July
July 1, Rays 6 1/2 games ahead oriole And ranked first in the American League East
But on Saturday, James McCann and Jorge Mateo hit a two-run double, and Austin Hayes hit an RBI double in a five-run fourth inning. Tampa Bay scored two runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and two more in the eighth.
“It’s baseball with a playoff vibe. No free hits, no free innings,” McCann told MASN. “You have to work hard for everything you get.”
Still, Mikan had high hopes when asked if Baltimore could win the World Series this season.
“I do think this team has what it takes,” McCann said. “It’s a really good mix of young players with energy and guys who’ve been through this before. It’s a team that doesn’t give up and pursues their careers professionally. Anytime you put all of that together, you end up with a lot of success on the pitch and that’s what we’re seeing now.”
Although not satisfied with the final result on Saturday, Rays Manager Kevin Cash admits he’s encouraged by the quality of the team’s batting over the past few days
“Maybe a little bit,” Cash said. “Didn’t expect it to be an overnight flip deal, so we’ll have to see some progress – but I think it’s only fair we have better batsmen.”
Baltimore will turn to Tyler Wells (7-5, 3.54 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale against Tampa Bay rookie Taj Bradley (5-6, 5.29), a battle of right-handers.
Wells, 28, will be looking to make up for last Tuesday’s dismal performance when he allowed five runs on six hits in a season-low two-inning run in a 10-3 defeat by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wells has hit 22 homers in 19 games (18 starts) this season, including a three-run homer off the Dodgers’ Jason Hayward.
“Once those home runs start turning into twos, threes, that’s a problem,” Wells said, according to the Baltimore Sun. “I definitely take that personally.”
On June 21 in St. Petersburg, Fla., Wells allowed four runs on four hits (earned earned) in five innings in a 7-2 loss against Tampa Bay and is 0-3 in nine career games (five starts).
The 22-year-old Bradley last tasted victory on June 21, when he allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight in a 7-2 win over Baltimore.
He’s 0-3 in his past four starts, and though he allowed just two runs on five hits against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, he allowed nine runs in a 5-3 rout.
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