BALTIMORE — The Rays got Nelson Cruz for nights like this.
The veteran designated hitter, acquired from the Twins July 22 for a hefty price, delivered a three-run, game-tying homer and then a two-run, go-ahead double to lead the Rays to a 10-6, come-from-behind victory over the Orioles Friday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Tampa Bay was down 5-2 after five innings and did all of its scoring against a beleaguered Baltimore bullpen, getting three in the sixth and five in the eighth.
Wander Franco singled in two runs, and Kevin Kiermaier and Manuel Margot were on base four times each.
The Rays improved to 66-44 with the win and opened a 2 1/2-game American League East lead over the Red Sox, who lost to the Blue Jays, 12-4. It is the largest lead for the Rays after the 100-game mark of a season since 2008.
One negative for the Rays was another rough outing for Ryan Yarbrough, who allowed five or more runs for the third time in his last four outings.
Friday’s line was somewhat ugly, five runs over five innings on nine hits, including four doubles, a triple and two homers. The seven extra-base hits were the most by a Rays pitcher since 2016, when Matt Andriese also allowed seven. Plus, Yarbrough allowed four of the runs with two outs.
There was plenty of early scoring action.
The Orioles got one in the first when Cedric Mullins led off with a single, stole second and scored on a single by Ryan Mountcastle, who would later leave with concussion symptoms after being tagged on the head by Franco while sliding into second.
The Rays went up 2-1 in the second thanks to some small ball and Orioles sloppiness. Margot bunted his way on and Mike Zunino’s double put men on third and second. Kiermaier beat out a slow roller for a single that scored Margot, and an errant play at first allowed Zunino to also score.
But Yarbrough could not keep the O’s down. He allowed a homer to Pedro Severino, then back-to-back doubles with two outs in the second, followed by a leadoff homer to Austin Hays in the third, giving Baltimore a 4-2 lead.
The Orioles widened their lead to 5-2 with another two-out run in the fifth, as Yarbrough allowed a double to Trey Mancini and triple to Jorge Mateo.
The Rays tied it in the sixth however. Kiermaier, who was on base four times, walked. Jordan Luplow, called up to replace hot-hitting Randy Arozarena (who went on the COVID-19-related injured list), walked, and Cruz delivered a home run. That was the 439th of his career, tying Paul Konerko for 44th all-time.
The Rays broke the game open in the eighth. A bloop single by Zunino and walks by Kiermaier and Luplow loaded the bases. Cruz then laced a double just beyond the leaping reach of third baseman Mateo to score two. Franco singled up the middle to score two more.
