• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Guyer homers in first PA, Rays beat Orioles

May 7, 2011 - 5:54 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Brandon Guyer hit a two-run homer in his first major league at-bat, as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game series at Camden Yards.

Guyer became the first player in team history to homer in his first MLB plate appearance. He was recalled from Triple-A Durham due to pitcher Jeff Niemann going on the 15-day disabled list.

"From the time of me getting called up to what happened, you couldn't have scripted it any better," Guyer said. "It's pretty surreal right now."

Johnny Damon also hit a two-run homer for the Rays, who have won six in a row on the road. B.J. Upton and Casey Kotchman each drove in a run.

James Shields (3-1) gave up one run on three hits over 7 1/3 innings to pick up the win. He also struck out five and walked three.

Derrek Lee hit a solo homer for the Orioles, who have lost four of five. Luke Scott had an RBI double.

Zach Britton (5-2) allowed three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 frames to suffer the loss.

"His command wasn't what it's been," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of his starter.

The Rays scored three times in the second. Evan Longoria and Upton opened the frame with back-to-back doubles to plate one run. Guyer then made history by hitting Britton's offer over the left-center field wall for a 3-0 lead.

Baltimore's first hit of the game didn't come until the fourth. Vladimir Guerrero doubled down the left field line with two outs, but Scott went down swinging.

Lee's homer to left in the sixth cut the gap to 3-1.

The Rays tacked on a run in the eighth to make it a three-run game again. With men on first and second and two out, Kotchman hit an RBI single to right.

Damon's blast to right off Koji Uehara in the ninth made it a 6-1 game.

The Orioles scored once in the home ninth to account for the final margin. Guerrero hit a two-out double off the wall in right and scored on Scott's double. Brandon Gomes came in from the bullpen and got Adam Jones to foul out to end the game.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay was swept in a three-game set by Baltimore as part of an 0-6 start to its season...The Rays started a six-game road trip on Friday, while the O's got a six-game homestand underway...Shields improved to 8-5 lifetime against Baltimore...While Britton got the loss, he will soon have another opportunity to pick up win No. 6 and become the first Oriole pitcher to record his sixth win still in the month of May since Kris Benson in 2006. The Orioles did not have a pitcher record his sixth win in 2010 until August 8 (Jeremy Guthrie).