Orioles 7 - 5 Rays
Final/11
  for this game

Orioles hope to avoid sweep at hands of Rays

Sep 7, 2014 - 1:06 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Still with a sizeable lead atop the American League East, the Baltimore Orioles will try to avoid getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series.

The Orioles came into this series having won nine of 11, but were bested 3-0 on Friday and then lost a 3-2 decision on Saturday night when Andrew Miller's passed ball allowed Yunel Escobar to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Chris Davis homered and Nelson Cruz singled in a run for Baltimore, which is still 8 1/2 games ahead of the second-place New York Yankees in the division.

The Rays had lost 11 of their first 16 meetings with the Orioles this season and came into this set having been swept in three games by Toronto, but are now 4-5 on a 10-game homestand that ends today.

Evan Longoria and Wil Myers drove in runs for the Rays, while Drew Smyly pitched six solid innings in the start, allowing a run on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

"My arm felt really good, everything was pretty sharp," Smyly said.

Jeremy Hellickson aims to halt a five-start winless streak today when he takes the mound for the Rays.

Hellickson saw his drought extended with an 8-2 setback to Toronto on Tuesday as he gave up five runs on eight hits and two walks over just 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander was taken deep twice in his second straight losing decision, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

"A lot of it was poorly-located pitches at the wrong time," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "That three-run home run was the difference in the game."

Hellickson has not won since Aug. 6 and the Rays have lost each of his last five starts. He is 1-3 with a 3.74 earned run average in nine starts this year.

The 27-year-old got a no-decision against Baltimore on Aug. 28, charged with three earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. He is 9-4 against the Orioles in his career, posting a 3.38 ERA over 18 games with 16 starts.

Bud Norris gets the call for the Orioles and is coming off an excellent outing versus Cincinnati on Tuesday. The right-hander hurled six scoreless innings of four-hit ball in a win, walking one and striking out seven.

"That was pretty impressive," O's manager Buck Showalter said of Norris.

Norris' efforts came one start after he gave up four runs over six innings in a no-decision versus Tampa Bay on Aug. 28 and moved Norris to 12-8 with a 3.83 ERA on the year.

He is 1-2 lifetime versus the Rays with a 4.35 ERA in six games (5 starts).






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