Orioles 7 - 5 Rays
Final/11
  for this game

Cruz powers O's to win over Rays in 11

Sep 8, 2014 - 12:31 AM St. Petersburg, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Nelson Cruz put the Baltimore Orioles on his back to help them avoid one of their longest road losing streaks in three seasons.

Cruz went 4-for-5 with two homers, including the game-winner in the 11th inning, and drove in all seven runs for the O's in a 7-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

"It was great," said Cruz. "It wasn't pretty but you know we're a pretty good team, so we get it done. We get a win."

Baltimore snapped its five-game road losing streak that marked the longest since a seven-game slide in July 2011.

Brad Brach (6-1) grabbed the win for pitching a scoreless 10th inning, then Andrew Miller came on in the 11th and struck out the side for his first save of the season.

Cesar Ramos (2-6) took the loss after allowing the two-run shot to Cruz.

"You can look at that last inning and see that home run, but we had many opportunities," said Rays manager Joe Maddon.

With Tampa up 4-2 in the ninth, three straight singles from the Orioles loaded the bases off Joel Peralta. Following a strikeout of Delmon Young, Cruz laced a bases-clearing triple to right that briefly gave the visitors their first lead of the game.

Evan Longoria reached on a throwing error by Ryan Flaherty to start the home ninth and James Loney singled to left. Brandon Guyer moved both runners over with a bunt preceding Sean Rodriguez's RBI groundout which tied the game.

Cruz, who finished a double shy of the cycle, followed a Nick Hundley walk in the 11th with his MLB-leading 39th homer of the season.

Earlier, Tampa Bay's primary offense came via the solo home run. A pair of solo shots helped the Rays to a 2-0 lead in the first, with Longoria going deep before Loney launched one over the wall in right.

David DeJesus then connected with an inside-the-park homer in the fourth to extend the cushion to 3-0.

Cruz, however, brought the O's within one with a two-run shot to left in the sixth inning.

Kiermaier knocked a homer off Baltimore starter Bud Norris to increase the lead to 4-2 before each team's closer blew a save in the ninth.

Game Notes

Cruz has had seven RBI in two other games in his career. He now has 101 RBI for the season ... Norris went six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts ... Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson went 5 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits.






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