ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays didn’t provide much information about why Ryan Yarbrough was placed on the COVID-19-related injured list on Aug. 10.
Or how he was doing during the eight days he was out, aside from pitching coach Kyle Snyder saying, “I think he was symptomatic for a couple of days but was able to maintain activity at home.”
But when Yarbrough returned to the mound Wednesday, he was feeling — and looking — pretty good, working five strong innings in the Rays’ 8-4 win over the Orioles.
Yarbrough, who last pitched Aug. 6 in Baltimore, took over from opener Louis Head in the second inning with the score tied 2-2 and kept it there.
He retired his first nine Orioles, allowed a leadoff double in the fifth, then set down the next six. He struck out three, threw 46 of his 70 pitches for strikes and was awarded the win.
Yarbrough’s performance gave the Rays hitters time to do their thing, and they built the lead to 7-2 by the sixth.
The win was the Rays’ 14th in 15 games this season against the Orioles (38-81), who have lost 14 straight for the second time this season. The teams play again Thursday afternoon and three more times next weekend in Baltimore.
The Rays improved their American League-best record to 74-47 and maintained a five-game lead in the East division.
The Rays got their two runs in the first on a bases-loaded single by Ji-Man Choi.
They broke the tie with a two-run fourth. Joey Wendle led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Brandon Lowe. Then Lowe, who stole second, scored on a double by Wander Franco.
The Rays got three more in the sixth, with some help from the Orioles. Tampa Bay loaded the bases on an error and two walks, then cleared them with a hard single through the infield by Franco and sacrifice flies by Nelson Cruz and Austin Meadows.
Meadows doubled in a run in the eighth.
Andrew Kittredge and Shawn Armstrong followed Yarbrough.
After two nights of record-low crowds at Tropicana Field (without COVID-19-capacity limits, as earlier this season), the announced attendance was 6,673 on a Salute to Service night with free tickets for military, teachers and first responders.
