Jonny DeLuca belted a two-run homer and Zack Littell led five Tampa Bay pitchers by throwing five shutout innings in the Rays’ 2-0 victory against the host Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.
Relievers Richard Lovelady, Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta all contributed to the combined five-hitter.
The Rays (71-72) won the final two contests of the three-game series, holding Baltimore (82-62) to one run in those 18 innings. The Orioles are jockeying for first place in the American League East with the New York Yankees, but they had a rough weekend against a team that they defeated in the nine of the first 11 meetings of the season.
Gunnar Henderson had three of Baltimore’s five hits. Cedric Mullins, who hit a solo home run Saturday, had the other two hits, including a one-out single in the ninth inning, for the Orioles.
Littell (6-9), in his second outing since a stint on the injured list with shoulder fatigue, limited the Orioles to three hits and one walk while striking out four in five innings.
Uceta worked the final 1 2/3 innings for his second save. The Orioles had two runners on base in the ninth with two outs before Coby Mayo struck out to end the game.
DeLuca’s sixth homer of the season – and second in seven days – came in the sixth inning off Orioles ace Corbin Burnes (13-8). Burnes allowed seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in his six-inning stint.
Jose Caballero joined DeLuca, who had the game’s lone extra-base hit, with two hits for the Rays, who went 4-3 during the past week against potential AL playoff teams Minnesota and Baltimore.
The Orioles’ first two batters of the eighth reached base against Cleavinger with Mayo’s walk and Henderson’s infield single. Cleavinger struck out Adley Rutschman before Uceta was summoned from the bullpen and fanned pinch hitter Eloy Jimenez and Anthony Santander.
The Orioles wrapped up a 3-3 homestand against two teams (Chicago White Sox was the other) with losing records.