Final
Orioles-Rays Preview
May 5, 2009 - 4:25 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS WriterBaltimore (9-16) at Tampa Bay (11-15), 4:08 p.m. EDT
In his last start, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza took a perfect game into the seventh inning.
While it's a long shot he'll have similar results in his next outing, the Rays nonetheless can expect a strong performance if his history against the Baltimore Orioles is any indication.
Garza looks to continue his dominance of the Orioles as the AL East rivals finish a two-game series Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.
After giving up 11 runs in 11 1-3 innings while losing his previous two starts, Garza (2-2, 3.82 ERA) got back on track as Tampa Bay (11-16) beat Boston 13-0 on Thursday night. He was perfect before Jacoby Ellsbury's infield single in the seventh and finished with a season-high 10 strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings while lowering his ERA more than a point from 4.97.
"Everything was really in sync for him," manager Joe Maddon said. "It was fun to watch."
Maddon probably doesn't expect another near-perfect performance from the right-hander, but he can likely count on at least a strong outing. Garza is 5-0 with a 2.80 ERA in six career starts against the Orioles, who are batting .218 against him.
Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis and second baseman Brian Roberts - batting .370 and .315, respectively, this season - are each 3-for-17 (.176) lifetime against Garza. Third baseman Melvin Mora is 1-for-15 (.067) against him.
Markakis and Roberts didn't have any problems with Tampa Bay pitching in the series opener Monday night. Markakis hit a three-run homer and Roberts added a two-run shot to help the Orioles (10-16) stop a six-game losing streak with an 8-4 victory.
Baltimore is 4-14 since it last won consecutive games April 13 and 14 at Texas.
"It's been rough, but it's a long season," Markakis said.
Roberts had gone 3-for-26 during Baltimore's six-game skid before delivering two hits and scoring three times against Tampa Bay.
"I hit the ball hard, had some at-bats that weren't great, but I wasn't all that concerned abut it," he said of the slump. "It felt good to contribute because I felt like I hadn't in a while."
The Rays were held to six hits Monday and went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
"I saw a lot of good stuff, actually," Maddon said. "They just beat us. We didn't get a hit when we needed it."
The Rays have dropped three of four against the Orioles this season after going 15-3 against them - including 8-1 at home - in 2008.
The Orioles will try to continue their success against the Rays behind Japanese rookie Koji Uehara (2-2, 4.50). The right-hander left his last start Wednesday after being hit in the chest by a line drive in the seventh inning. X-rays were negative and the injury was diagnosed as a bruised sternum.
Despite delivering his third consecutive quality start in that game, Uehara suffered the 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
"No pain," Uehara said through an interpreter after the game. "I'm more upset about giving up that home run (earlier in the seventh)."
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BALTIMORE 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 4 3
TAMPA BAY 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 x 6 8 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: BAL - KOJI UEHARA, JAMIE WALKER (7TH), BOB MCCRORY (7TH) AND GREGG
ZAUN
TAM - MATT GARZA, BRIAN SHOUSE (9TH), TROY PERCIVAL
(9TH) AND DIONER NAVARRO
HOME RUNS: B
May 5 6:36 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY EVAN LONGORIA SCORED DIONER NAVARRO AND B.J.
UPTON.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, E LONGORIA ON FIRST, C CRAWFORD ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3
TAMPA BAY 6 BOTTOM, 7TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C PENA (.270, 0-FOR-2, BB)
Orioles 3, Rays 6 Bot 7, 0 OutsMay 5 6:10 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY B.J. UPTON SCORED AKINORI IWAMURA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B UPTON ON SECOND, D NAVARRO ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3
TAMPA BAY 4 BOTTOM, 7TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C CRAWFORD (.306, 1-FOR-3, RBI)
Orioles 3, Rays 4 Bot 7, 0 OutsMay 5 6:02 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY EVAN LONGORIA SCORED DIONER NAVARRO.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, E LONGORIA ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3
TAMPA BAY 3 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C PENA (.270, 0-FOR-2)
Orioles 3, Rays 3 Bot 6, 0 OutsMay 5 5:34 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY CARL CRAWFORD SCORED GABE KAPLER.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D NAVARRO ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3
TAMPA BAY 2 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.353, 0-FOR-2)
Orioles 3, Rays 2 Bot 6, 0 OutsMay 5 5:33 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY GREGG ZAUN (1) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN THE
5TH OFF MATT GARZA.
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 3, TAMPA BAY 1
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: R ANDINO (.353, 0-FOR-1)
Orioles 3, Rays 1 Top 5, 0 OutsMay 5 5:09 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BRIAN ROBERTS (4) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 3RD OFF MATT GARZA SCORED ROBERT ANDINO.
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 2, TAMPA BAY 1
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: A JONES (.351, 1-FOR-1)
Orioles 2, Rays 1 Top 3, 0 OutsMay 5 4:44 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
ERROR BY GREGG ZAUN ALLOWED CARL CRAWFORD TO SCORE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 0
TAMPA BAY 1 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.360, 0-FOR-0)
Orioles 0, Rays 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsMay 5 4:17 PM
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