ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Orioles' prolific offense hasn't been as productive in the second half of the season, but it brought the bats out in the first two games this week in Tampa Bay.
With their 11-2 win over the Rays on Tuesday night, the Orioles opened their key nine-game road trip with back-to-back wins at Tropicana Field, buoyed by their power bats.
The Orioles hit three homers, including Manny Machado's third grand slam of the season, capping a six-run fourth against Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi in front of an announced crowd of 12,207 at Tropicana Field.
The Orioles have scored 18 runs in two games here. Their 11 runs Tuesday was their highest offensive output in their last 18 games.
They have hit a total of 218 homers this season, which is the second-most in franchise history, passing last year's club and trailing only the 257 homers hit by the 1996 team.
The Orioles (76-62), winners of four of their last five games, moved within one game of the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, who lost in New York on Tuesday.
They shelled Odorizzi, who was 6-0 and owned a 1.89 ERA since the All-Star break. The Orioles plated seven runs on six hits and three walks over five innings.
Chris Davis and Adam Jones also homered for the Orioles, but it was Machado's blast, which came with two outs in the fourth, that broke the game open.
J.J. Hardy gave the Orioles their first lead with a broken-bat, two-run double down the left-field line with the bases loaded earlier in the inning, and three batters later, Machado stepped to the plate with the bases loaded again.
Machado lifted a full-count fastball into the left-center field stands, a towering shot that went an estimated 411 feet, giving Machado 34 homers this season.
Machado, who drove in five runs, now has a career-high 90 RBIs.
The Rays (58�79), who abruptly firing hitting coach Derek Shelton after Ubaldo Jimenez tossed the Orioles' first complete game in two years Monday, didn't put up much offense again.
This time, right-hander Yovani Gallardo righted himself after allowing a leadoff homer to Logan Forsythe. Gallardo allowed two runs on five hits over five innings.
