- Kevin Tall
- Stock photo
Ah, more back-and-forth in Baltimore.
Q: What do you get when two teams in the American League East division face off on a Sunday afternoon and both clubs refuse to die?
A: A hell of a baseball game.
The Tampa Bay Rays knocked Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Brian Matusz from the game just one out into the second inning of the matinee. The rest of the lineup wouldn't roll over as easily for the resurgent Rays offense.
Despite posting nine runs on 14 hits—including a three-spot off Matusz in the first inning—Tampa Bay found itself in a dogfight in Baltimore.
Johnny Damon led off the game with a home run, the first of three consecutive hits. Ben Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano both singled and Big Ben scored on a sac fly—one of three RBI on the day—by Evan Longoria. Rays runners got in Matusz's head with some base stealing, including a double steal by B.J. Upton and Sean Rodriguez.
All told, they sent nine men to the plate and this one looked to be an easy win.
Adam Jones and Vlad Guerrero homered back-to-back off Rays starter Wade Davis in the bottom half of that same first inning to pull within a run.
So much for easy…
