O’Hearn, Henderson homer, however O’s lead over Rays shrinks

BALTIMORE — After the primary recreation of doubtless an important sequence of the season, the Orioles’ American League East lead has dropped to 1.

In entrance of an brisk crowd of 24,835 at Camden Yards that was hanging on each pitch, Baltimore fell, 4-3, to Tampa Bay on Thursday night time within the opener of a pivotal four-game AL East conflict. Luke Raley lifted the Rays with a tie-breaking two-out solo homer off Kyle Bradish within the seventh inning.

This is the primary time the Orioles’ benefit within the AL East has been down to 1 recreation for the reason that finish of play on July 22, once they broke a tie atop the division with a win over the Rays at Tropicana Field.

The recreation was tied at 3 coming into the seventh. The Rays had scored all three of their runs by way of a rally within the third (which included a go-ahead two-run triple by Randy Arozarena), whereas the Orioles had gotten solo homers from Ryan O’Hearn and Gunnar Henderson and an RBI fielder’s alternative by Adam Frazier that knotted the sport within the fifth.

Bradish settled in properly in the course of the center innings, and the 27-year-old right-hander was one out away from finishing seven with solely three runs allowed. However, Raley blasted a 409-foot homer to straightaway middle discipline that determined the competition.

Baltimore was blanked over the ultimate 4 innings by 4 Tampa Bay relievers. The Rays’ bullpen hasn’t allowed an earned run over 34 consecutive innings, relationship again to Sept. 4.