BALTIMORE (AP) — Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz each homered, Zack Littell pitched seven strong innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-3 on Saturday.
Littell (7-7) gave up one run and three hits with two walks. It was the fifth time Littell has gone at least seven innings this season. Joe Rock got the last six outs in his major league debut and gave up Ramón Laureano's 10th home run — a two-run shot in the ninth.
Tampa Bay, which won for the 11th time in 15 games, grabbed the lead two batters into the game against Zach Eflin (6-6) when Josh Lowe doubled and scored on Brandon Lowe's single that extended his hitting streak to 15 games. One out later, Aranda hit a 467-foot shot out to right field for his 10th home run and a 3-0 lead. Chandler Simpson drove in the final run of the inning with a grounder.
Scott Blewett pitched two scoreless innings after replacing Eflin to begin the second before running into trouble in the fourth. Simpson walked, stole his 22nd base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Walls for a 5-0 lead. Josh Lowe had a two-out single, Brandon Lowe worked a 10-pitch walk and Díaz hit his 13th homer to make it 8-0.
Walls had another sacrifice fly in the fifth, and the Orioles scored a run in the bottom of the inning on Chadwick Tromp's first home run to make it 9-1. Matt Thaiss added a two-run triple in the seventh for the Rays.
Key moment
The four-run first helped the Rays put a 22-8 loss in the series opener behind them.
Key stat
Díaz went 2 for 4 with a walk after beginning the day with a .490 on-base percentage in his last 21 games.
Up next
Rays RHP Taj Bradley (5-5, 4.57) starts Sunday against Orioles RHP Dean Kremer (6-7, 4.60).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The Associated Press
