Orioles Hold On After 4-Run 1st, Beat Rays 6-5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Adam Jones drove in two with a double during a four-run first inning Tuesday night, and the Baltimore Orioles hung on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5.
Steve Pearce homered for the second straight game, a two-run drive that made it 6-0 in the second for Orioles, who won Monday's opener 6-2. Pearce, from nearby Lakeland, has five homers in his last 11 games at Tropicana Field.
Baltimore's Chris Davis went 0 for 3, including an eighth-inning fly to the warning track, and was hit by a pitch as the DH in his return after a 25-game suspension for a positive amphetamine test. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Davis will play first base in Wednesday night's series finale.
Tampa Bay got two-run homers from Logan Forsythe and Kevin Kiermaier.
Forsythe cut the deficit to 6-3 with a home run that culminated an 11-pitch at-bat in the fourth against Wei-Yin Chen, who allowed three runs and four hits in 4 1-3 innings.
Kiermaier made it 6-5 on his homer off Kevin Gausman (1-0) during the sixth.
Zach Britton struck out three straight batters in a perfect ninth for his first save.
New Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash has lost his first two games. He replaced Joe Maddon, who used an opt-out clause during the offseason and became manager of the Chicago Cubs.
Travis Snider had an RBI single and Manny Machado hit a sacrifice fly in the first off Nathan Karns (0-1), who gave up six runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings.
Acquired from Pittsburgh in January, Snider has three RBIs in his first two games with the Orioles.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy, on the disabled list with a strained left shoulder, could start a an injury rehabilitation assignment next week at Class-A Frederick.
Rays: 1B James Loney was a late scratch due to a right side injury. ... RHP Alex Cobb said he had his best day playing catch since being sidelined last month by right forearm tendinitis. There is no timetable for when Cobb might throw off a mound. ... DH John Jaso still has soreness and restricted movement one day after spraining his left wrist sliding in the first inning Monday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Miguel Gonzalez is Wednesday night's starter against the Rays.
Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi will face the Orioles on Wednesday night.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
