ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Rays RHP Austin Pruitt has started and worked out of the bullpen, in both short and long relief.
But he did not expect to pick up his second career save Sunday by having to log 5 2/3 innings, allowing only three hits while striking out five.
"A 5 2/3 (innings) save, that's lengthy," Pruitt said after locking down the 8-3 win over the Orioles. "I was in this role last year a little bit. I wasn't going as long as I am now."
The plan was for Pruitt to follow "opener" Sergio Romo to the mound. But Romo, who was making his second start in 48 hours, retired only the first batter he faced. He was gone after a walk and two singles loaded the bases.
Manager Kevin Cash went to LHP Vidal Nuno to retire Chris Davis on a sacrifice fly. After an intentional walk to Danny Valencia, Nuno then forced home a run with a walk to Chance Sisco before a run-scoring bunt single by Craig Gentry. All three runs were charged to Romo.
"The walks didn't help," Cash said. "Romo's walk, my intentional walk and then the walk after that didn't help. Starters, relievers, you walk guys, you're going to give up runs. And that's what kind of put us in a hole. Sergio, if you look at what he did besides the walks, it was just singles to some really good hitters."
Pruitt entered with one out in the fourth and faced the minimum of hitters until he was touched for a two-out double in the seventh by Jonathan Schoop.
"Really impressed with him," Cash said of Pruitt. "That's two outings in a row. Against the Red Sox, he gives up the home run to (Rafael) Devers. Other than that, he was pretty flawless, and today he was outstanding. Forcing contact, controlling the count. He got a lot of ground balls, allowed our defense to start working behind him."
