 after an RBI triple by Jonathan Villar. The blast put the Orioles up 9-3 before Tampa Bay tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth. Shawn Armstrong came in to get the final out with two runners on base and earn his second save.The Rays had their four-game winning streak snapped. They entered the day 5 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees.Relief pitcher Mychal Givens (1-4) got his first win since Sept. 24, 2017, after lunging to tag out a sliding Kevin Kiermaier near the plate, preventing the Rays from taking a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth. Givens had lost 11 straight decisions.Rookie All-Star left-hander John Means started for Baltimore and pitched seven innings, leaving after throwing 98 pitches.Means, who has not lost in seven starts since May 18, gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits, walking none while striking out five.After his throwing error helped the Rays score the game's first run, Rio Ruiz lifted a three-run homer off Austin Pruitt into the right-field seats, his fifth of the season, accounting for all of the Orioles' scoring until the ninth.Mike Brosseau's first career home run drove in the first earned run off Means in the fourth inning, and the Rays tied it at 3 in the sixth on a double by Yandy Diaz and a single by Avisail Garcia.Rays opener Ryne Stanek pitched only the first inning, striking out two.The crowd of 21,545 brought the total for the three-game series to 62,911. About 30,000 tickets were sold for $2 apiece.TRAINER'S ROOMOrioles: LHP Josh Rogers had UCL revision surgery in Dallas, a procedure that has a recovery projection similar to that of Tommy John surgery. ... OF D. J. Stewart (right ankle sprain) will continue his rehab at Double-A Bowie.Rays: Kiermaier was scratched from the lineup about 90 minutes before the first pitch due to left wrist soreness. He pinch ran in the eighth. . 2B Brandon Lowe was added to the AL All-Star team but may not play due to a bruised lower right leg, an injury that happened on a foul ball Tuesday. ... INF Matt Duffy, on the IL with a strained left hamstring, is expected to play for the Gulf Coast League Rays on Thursday.UP NEXTOrioles: RHP Dylan Bundy (3-10) will pitch the opener of a three-game series at Toronto against RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-11) on Friday night.Rays: RHP Yonny Chrinos (7-4) will pitch Thursday night's opener of a four-game series against the Yankees. LHP J. A. Happ (7-4) will pitch for New York for the first time since giving up eight earned runs in a loss to Houston on June 23.----More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
O's seek win at Tampa Bay by any MeansFLMBaltimore Orioles left-hander John Means already made history in the 2019 season, but the rookie is more concerned about the present than what he has accomplished so far.And the present right now is trying to help the Orioles salvage one game against the Tampa Bay Rays.Means (7-4, 2.50 ERA) will take the ball for Baltimore in the finale of a three-game series with the Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the Orioles have lost two straight.Baltimore has dropped three in a row overall and 16 of 19.On Sunday, Means, 26, became the first homegrown Baltimore starting pitcher to be named to the All-Star team since Mike Mussina in 1999. He is the first Orioles rookie to be selected an All-Star since Andy Etchebarren was chosen in 1966.Chris Tillman, a second-round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2006, was the most recent Orioles starting pitcher to earn All-Star honors, but he was not called on to pitch in the 2013 Midsummer Classic by manager Jim Leyland.Means has become a rock in a rocky rotation for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.The lefty was a longshot to make the club out of the Grapefruit League camp, but Hyde chose the Kansas native as the roster's last pick when spring training broke in March."Going into spring training, I was just trying to kind of make a statement to the coaches to hopefully get a call-up at some point this year," Means said. "I ended up kind of being the last man on the roster and started this year just trying to go out there and do my best and see what happens." What has happened has been impressive and a bright spot in a dark season.Means is 1-0 in his only appearance against the Rays during his brief career, collecting the win with two innings of hitless relief in a 6-5 victory in Florida on April 18.Now Means will make his first start against the Rays, who have won four straight, including a 6-3 victory Tuesday.Rays All-Star Charlie Morton struck out a season-high 12 in seven strong innings. Brandon Lowe belted a first-inning homer to set the tone for Tampa Bay, then later drove in another run in a 3-for-3 night.However, the lefty-hitting second baseman fouled two consecutive pitches off his right leg in the sixth inning. He wound up hitting a single in that at-bat, but he limped down the line and was lifted for a pinch runner.X-rays were negative and just showed a contusion, but Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said."He's going to be sore and is on crutches right now," Cash said after the game. "We'll probably find a lot more out (Wednesday) -- how he wakes up and walks around -- but I wouldn't anticipate seeing him in the lineup (Wednesday)." Cash said the Rays would turn to their bullpen to handle the pitching chores on Wednesday. Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.64 ERA) is expected to get the call as the opener for the 25th time this year. The right-hander has a 2.13 ERA over 38 innings this season will filling the opener role.--Field Level Media
Looking for More Picks?
You can browse all the individual handicapper picks below.
Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Rays
Pick Center
MLB
FINAL (7/3/2019)
TomBartonSports
