Baltimore Orioles edge past Tampa Bay Ray 7-4 - MLB Update
Baltimore Orioles displayed some top quality baseball skills against the Tampa Bay Rays as they secured a comfortable 7-4 win at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on April 2 in Game 1 of a three match series of 2012 Major League Baseball regular
season.
Orioles' pitching rotation performed brilliantly, dominating the Rays’ batting line-up right from the start of the contest. Orioles’ pitchers put up fine performances during Spring Training and they continued the good work against the Rays at St. Petersburg
allowing just four runs in hitting friendly conditions.
Starting pitcher Jason Hammel led from the front as he allowed just three hits in six solid innings. Striking-out batters at regular intervals, the right hander laid the foundations of an impressive Orioles’ victory. Relief pitchers Darren O Day and Jim
Johnson also made valuable contributions to help Baltimore establish complete control over the contest.
"Today starts a long journey together, and I'm curious as everybody else to see where it takes us," manager Buck Showalter said.
"The season wouldn't have ended if we lost today, and it wouldn't end if we lose tomorrow, or if we win. That's what I keep challenging our guys about," he added. "This is a great group for staying in the moment, staying in reality."
"Last season is over, and everybody in the clubhouse has moved on to this year," Wieters said in a post game interview.
Rays’ starter David Price also showed the stuff he is capable of as he allowed just two runs in six innings. However, Price was unlucky to end up on the losing side after he left the mound with a one run lead. Relief pitcher Jake McGee took the loss after
he allowed five runs on four hits in just 0.2 innings of relief.
Matt Wieters homered to left in the second inning to put Orioles on the board. Rays fought back strongly to claim a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning but the night belonged to the Orioles. Chris Davis smacked a three run home-run in the seventh to take his side
to a sensational victory. The Orioles will be looking to carry their winning momentum forward during the rest of the regular season.
Tags: