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Longoria plates game-winner as Rays top Orioles

May 25, 2008 - 10:08 PM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- On Saturday, Evan Longoria did all his damage early. On Sunday, the rookie delivered late.

Longoria's RBI double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays past the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4, on Sunday.

The Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Orioles and improved to 15-1 in their last 16 home games. The Rays also are 13-4 in their past 17 games overall.

Longoria's game-winning hit came a day after he homered in his first two at-bats, setting career highs with two home runs and six RBI in Saturday's 11-4 win.

"He's good and he keeps getting better," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "He's building his confidence right now."

Carlos Pena, who homered in the third, drew a one-out walk off George Sherrill (1-1) in the ninth. Longoria followed with a double in the right-center field gap, easily scoring Pena.

"You don't want to get too anxious," said Pena, who walked three times. "The tendency is to get too excited to try and hit a home run. You let the walk happen and the next thing you know, Longoria has a big hit and we win the ball game.

"This kid is very talented. He's a great hitter. A great ballplayer."

Longoria is hitting .351 (13-for-37) in his last nine games.

"I love being in that situation," Longoria said. "I'm looking forward to getting up there and helping the team with the game."

The Orioles, who rallied from a 4-1 deficit, lost a season high-tying fifth consecutive game and fell into the American League East cellar for the first time this year.

"You have to give the Rays a lot of credit, they found a way to win," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "They played real good baseball the entire series. They got real good starting pitching, they had timely hitting."

Making his 21st appearance of the season, Troy Percival (1-0) got his first victory of the campaign by recording the final two outs in the ninth.

In his second-shortest outing of the season, Daniel Cabrera allowed nine hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings, walking six and striking out one. Cabrera had won his last three starts but did not figure in the decision Sunday.

"My control was not there today," Cabrera said. "I was taking a lot of time behind those hitters. When you are behind that is what you get. They will hit the ball."

James Shields allowed eight hits and four runs - three earned - with one walk and three strikeouts in eight innings.

"I'm just glad I got to keep them in the game as long as I did and these guys came through," Shields said.

Ramon Hernandez's second-inning RBI single gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead.

The Rays responded with four runs in the third on Pena's two-run home run, Eric Hinske's RBI single and Dioner Navarro's RBI double.

"I had a 3-0 count and got a pitch I could handle," said Pena, who has five hits in his last seven at-bats. "I hit it the other way. That's what you want to do."

In the fifth, Adam Jones' RBI double pulled the Orioles within 4-2.

Brian Roberts led off the sixth with a triple and scored on Melvin Mora's single. After a double-play groundout by Nick Markakis, Aubrey Huff tied the game with a solo home run.

The game remained tied until Sherrill allowed the game-winning hit to Longoria.

"It was just bad pitches," Sherrill said. "I was ahead and didn't end up putting him away, so that's what you get."