Final
Rays-Orioles Preview
May 13, 2009 - 4:02 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS WriterTampa Bay (15-18) at Baltimore (13-19), 7:05 p.m. EDT
The way Baltimore's Adam Jones is hitting against them, the Tampa Bay Rays are probably grateful that after Wednesday they won't be facing their AL East rival again for a few months.
Jones and the Orioles look to complete a two-game sweep of the Rays in the finale of a seven-game homestand.
Jones is among the top hitters in the AL with a .363 batting average, and he's been especially successful against the Rays (15-19) this season. The center fielder homered twice in a 7-5 win on Tuesday, raising his average against Tampa Bay to .391 (9 for 23) with four doubles and two home runs in 2009.
Tuesday was Jones' first multihomer game in the majors, and he drove in four to lead Baltimore (14-19) to its fourth victory in six games.
"I got a bat in my hand. I'm not going to go up there swinging gingerly," said Jones, who has three homers in his last three games after hitting 17 in his first 233. "I got three strikes and I'm just trying to make the best of it up there."
Tampa Bay, which had led 5-1 in the second inning, lost for the third time in four games.
The Rays' Carl Crawford had two doubles and passed current Oriole Aubrey Huff for the franchise lead with 451 RBIs. Crawford also is batting .438 (14 for 32) in a seven-game hitting streak.
Baltimore, which went 3-15 last season against Tampa Bay, has won four of the first six meetings in 2009. After Wednesday, the division rivals don't meet again until Aug. 18.
Orioles rookie Brad Bergesen (1-0, 4.98 ERA), who is looking for his first win since his major league debut on April 21, will take the mound.
The 23-year-old right-hander has a 6.19 ERA in his last three starts, in which Baltimore has gone 2-1. He pitched six innings last Thursday against Minnesota, allowing three runs and 11 hits in a 5-4 victory.
"The nerves and the adrenaline, that sure hasn't gone away," he told the Orioles' official Web site. "I never want to get out there and feel too comfortable. It's such a humbling game. I'm just going to keep going about my business."
Baltimore has won all three of his starts at Camden Yards, and this will be the first time he's facing the Rays.
Tampa Bay goes with Jeff Niemann (2-3, 5.65), who hasn't made it out of the fourth inning in his last two outings. The right-hander went 3 1-3 against the Yankees last Thursday, allowing two runs, three hits and four walks in an 8-6 win. He did not factor in the decision.
Niemann is 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance versus the Orioles. On April 11, he pitched 5 1-3 innings against them, allowing six runs and six hits in a 6-0 loss.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TAMPA BAY 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 4 8 15 0
BALTIMORE 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 6 15 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: TAM - JEFF NIEMANN, LANCE CORMIER (6TH), BRIAN SHOUSE (7TH), DAN
WHEELER (8TH), TROY PERCIVAL (9TH), J.P. HOWELL (9TH) AND
DIONER NAVARRO
BAL - BRADLEY BERGESEN, C
May 13 10:33 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MELVIN MORA SCORED AUBREY HUFF.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, M MORA ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 8
BALTIMORE 6 BOTTOM, 9TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: L MONTANEZ (.225, 0-FOR-3, BB)
Rays 8, Orioles 6 Bot 9, 0 OutsMay 13 10:29 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY FELIX PIE (2) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 9TH OFF TROY PERCIVAL.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 8, BALTIMORE 5
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.346, 1-FOR-4)
Rays 8, Orioles 5 Bot 9, 0 OutsMay 13 10:19 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BRIAN ROBERTS (5) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 9TH OFF TROY PERCIVAL SCORED CESAR IZTURIS.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 8, BALTIMORE 4
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: F PIE (.194, 1-FOR-1)
Rays 8, Orioles 4 Bot 9, 0 OutsMay 13 10:18 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BEN ZOBRIST SCORED DIONER NAVARRO.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, B ZOBRIST ON FIRST, B UPTON ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 8
BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.348, 0-FOR-5)
Rays 8, Orioles 2 Top 9, 0 OutsMay 13 10:11 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY B.J. UPTON SCORED JASON BARTLETT.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, B UPTON ON FIRST, D NAVARRO ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 7
BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B ZOBRIST (.264, 1-FOR-1, BB)
Rays 7, Orioles 2 Top 9, 0 OutsMay 13 10:09 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DIONER NAVARRO SCORED WILLY AYBAR.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, D NAVARRO ON FIRST, J BARTLETT ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 6
BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B UPTON (.171, 2-FOR-5)
Rays 6, Orioles 2 Top 9, 0 OutsMay 13 10:06 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
WILD PITCH BY BOB MCCRORY ALLOWED CARLOS PENA TO SCORE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J BARTLETT ON FIRST, W AYBAR ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 5
BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: D NAVARRO (.183, 0-FOR-2, SAC, SF, RBI)
Rays 5, Orioles 2 Top 9, 0 OutsMay 13 10:04 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY DIONER NAVARRO SCORED GABE GROSS.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J BARTLETT ON FIRST, A IWAMURA ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 4
BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B UPTON (.174, 2-FOR-3)
Rays 4, Orioles 2 Top 6, 0 OutsMay 13 9:01 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY WILLY AYBAR SCORED CARLOS PENA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, W AYBAR ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 3
BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: G GROSS (.269, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Rays 3, Orioles 2 Top 6, 0 OutsMay 13 8:53 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ADAM JONES SCORED BRIAN ROBERTS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A JONES ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
BALTIMORE 2 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.352, 1-FOR-2)
Rays 2, Orioles 2 Bot 4, 0 OutsMay 13 8:24 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GABE GROSS SCORED CARLOS PENA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, G GROSS ON FIRST, W AYBAR ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
BALTIMORE 1 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: A IWAMURA (.274, 0-FOR-1)
Rays 2, Orioles 1 Top 4, 0 OutsMay 13 8:13 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY JASON BARTLETT (5) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 1
OUT IN THE 3RD OFF BRADLEY BERGESEN.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 1, BALTIMORE 1
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: D NAVARRO (.186, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
Rays 1, Orioles 1 Top 3, 0 OutsMay 13 7:49 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY TY WIGGINTON (2) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 2ND OFF JEFF NIEMANN.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0, BALTIMORE 1
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: C MOELLER (.233, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
Rays 0, Orioles 1 Bot 2, 0 OutsMay 13 7:36 PM
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