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Rays burn Orioles to take series

Jun 13, 2011 - 12:09 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Evan Longoria hit a two-run inside-the- park homer and drove in three, as Tampa Bay topped Baltimore, 9-6, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Camden Yards.

Johnny Damon had a solo homer and knocked in a pair, while Kelly Shoppach added a two-run single for Tampa Bay, which has won six of eight. Ben Zobrist went 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

Wade Davis (5-5) allowed five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits in six-plus innings, fanning three and walking one. J.P. Howell got the final three outs to pick up his first save of the season.

Adam Jones finished 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI for the Orioles, who have dropped two straight after winning the previous four. Vladimir Guerrero and Luke Scott also had solo homers in defeat.

Brian Matusz (1-1) worked only 1 1/3 innings, yielding five hits and four runs while walking four.

"From the get-go I didn't get a good feel. It was just one of those days when you have to battle without your good stuff," said Matusz. "I just wasn't able to get on track today."

Tampa Bay jumped on Matusz for three in the first. Damon led off the game with a homer over the right-field wall and Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano each singled to put runners on the corners. Longoria's sacrifice fly to left scored another.

Later in the inning with men on second and third, Sean Rodriguez hit a grounder that was booted by third baseman Mark Reynolds, bringing in the third run.

Back-to-back two-out homers by Jones and Guerrero in the home half made it a 3-2 game.

B.J. Upton's sac fly in the second and Damon's RBI single in the third put Tampa Bay ahead 5-2.

Jones' double coupled with a throwing error in the home third allowed Jones to score and drew the Orioles a run closer.

Shoppach put the Rays ahead 7-3 with a two-out, two-run single in the seventh, but Baltimore answered with two in the home half on RBI groundouts by Nick Markakis and Jones.

Zobrist led off the eighth with a single and two batters later, Longoria hit a liner to center that was misplayed by Jones and the ball rolled all the way to the wall. Longoria circled the bases for an inside-the-park homer that gave the Rays a 9-5 advantage.

"As soon as I got around second I was pretty much committed to going home. There wasn't anything slowing me down around third," said Longoria.

Scott hit a homer to straight away center leading off the bottom half.

Juan Cruz, who got the last out in the eighth, stayed on for the ninth and gave up a single to pinch-hitter Matt Wieters leading off. Howell entered and retired J.J. Hardy on a fly ball before Markakis bounced into a game-ending 1-6-3 double play.

Game Notes

The teams have split 12 games this season...Davis improved to 5-3 in his career versus the Orioles...Reynolds left in the top of the eighth with an arm injury...Tampa Bay went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10, while Baltimore finished 1-for-5 with RISP and left five...Ruggiano went 3-for-5 with a run scored in the win.