Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles Box Score on Sep 23, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 24, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Jake Odorizzi struck out a season-high nine batters and Lucas Duda matched his career high with his 30th home run of the season, as the Tampa Bay Rays eliminated the Baltimore Orioles from playoff contention with a 9-6 victory Saturday night at Camden Yards.

Odorizzi (10-8, 4.26 ERA) kept the Rays' long-shot playoff hopes alive with his second straight dominant performance. Earlier in the week, he held the Boston Red Sox to a pair of earned runs on one hit to go along with six strikeouts over six innings.

Tampa Bay (76-79) remained five games behind the Minnesota Twins for the second American League wild-card spot with seven games to play.

Before an announced crowd of 42,802, the Orioles (74-82) fell out of playoff contention with their sixth loss in the last seven games. They made things interesting by scoring five runs in the bottom of the ninth before an out was recorded, but still fell for the 14th time in their last 17 games.

Duda gave the Rays a 3-1 lead with two outs in the top of the third by lining a 3-2 pitch from Orioles starter Jeremy Hellickson over the right-field wall.

The homer followed back-to-back singles by No. 9 hitter Adeiny Hechavarria and leadoff man Kevin Kiermaier. Hellickson had retired the first eight batters prior to that flurry of hits.

The Rays added two more runs in the seventh off reliever Richard Bleier on an RBI single by Wilson Ramos and a sacrifice fly to right by Hechavarria that scored Steven Souza Jr. They added four more in the ninth, including designated hitter Logan Morrison's 37th home run of the season.

That was more than enough for Odorizzi, the 27-year-old who was making his 27th start of the season for the Rays. Over six innings, he allowed one unearned run on three hits and walked only two.

Since the start of 2016, Odorizzi has allowed three hits or fewer in 18 starts, the most in the American League over that span.

Hellickson pitched well other than the one brief rough patch in the third inning. But that was enough to send him to his third consecutive loss and sixth in his last nine starts.

Facing his former team for the first time, Hellickson (2-6, 6.97 ERA) allowed the three earned runs on four hits, in addition to striking out four and walking one.

Hellickson, who pitched for the Rays from 2010-2014, has not won since an Aug. 25 road start against the Boston Red Sox.

The Orioles jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Jonathan Schoop ripped a double down the left-field line and then scored on a throwing error.

Adam Jones put a ball in play on the right side of the infield. Odorizzi ran over to cover first, but the throw over missed him by a wide mark. Jones was credited with an infield single and hustled over to third base on the error.

NOTES: The Rays improved to 8-7 against the Orioles this season with four games remaining between the teams. ... Rays DH Logan Morrison hit his 27th home run of the season on the road to extend his American League lead and team record. ... Orioles RHP Jeremy Hellickson surrendered his 35th home run of the season, which is a career high. ... With one home game remaining, the Orioles fell to 45-35 this season at Camden Yards.