ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays got a few breaks to take an early lead Saturday, withstood a fifth-inning mess by starter Rich Hill, then rode their bullpen to a 5-4 victory over the Orioles.
The victory was Tampa Bay’s 22nd in the past 27 games, and as a reward the Rays again sit atop the majors with a 41-24 record, ahead of the 39-24 Giants.
Kevin Kiermaier had three hits, while Brandon Lowe had a second straight two-hit game and Joey Wendle also had two.
The Rays took the lead from the start with a three-run first inning. Lowe, coming off his two-hit game Friday, singled. Yandy Diaz walked. And with two outs, Wendle sliced a ground ball down the third-base line for a two-run double. An infield single by Manuel Margot and a broken-bat single by Kiermaier got Wendle home.
The Rays added to the lead off Orioles starter Jorge Lopez in the fourth. Mike Zunino reached on a fielder’s choice grounder (after Kiermaier led off with a single), Brett Phillips was hit by a pitch (feigning anger at his former Brewers and Royals teammate), and Lowe looped a hit to left that bounced over the head of left fielder Ryan Mountcastle for a two-run double.
Hill had cruised through the first four innings, allowing only a walk and a single with both runners erased on double plays.
But he ran into all kinds of trouble in the fifth, loading the bases on a leadoff walk, a one-out single and a two-out walk, then allowing a grand slam on a 1-0, 86.6-mph fastball, to Orioles catcher Austin Wynns, the No. 9 hitter with the .125 average.
The bullpen took it from there, with Rich Thompson, Collin McHugh (striking out five of six batters), Pete Fairbanks and Diego Castillo doing their part.
