BALTIMORE — Shane McClanahan looked like he felt right at home at Camden Yards, throwing a career-high seven innings Saturday night to lead the Rays past the Orioles team he used to come and watch as a kid growing up in Baltimore.
The 12-3 victory wasn’t all big pitches, of course.
Yandy Diaz got the Rays started with a second-inning homer. Veteran DH Nelson Cruz put them ahead to stay with a fifth-inning blast. Brandon Lowe, a University of Maryland product, hit a grand slam in the eighth. And Wander Franco followed with a blast that looked to reach Eutaw Street beyond right field.
The win improved the Rays to 67-44, a season-high 23 games over .500, and extended their American League East lead to three games over the Red Sox, who they face Tuesday-Thursday in Boston.
McClanahan, who said he was excited to pitch for the first time in Baltimore, was dominant for six of his seven innings, allowing all three runs and four of his five hits in a messy third. For the night, he walked one, struck out eight and threw 62 of his 92 pitches for strikes.
The Rays took the early lead with two runs in the second.
Diaz led off against Orioles starter Spenser Watkins with a homer, his eighth of the season, and all in his last 39 games, after starting the season without any in 54 games. Joey Wendle singled, went to third on Manuel Margot’s ground-rule double and scored on an infield bouncer by Kevin Kiermaier, who later left the game for precautionary reasons due to right knee soreness.
McClanahan cruised through the first two innings on 21 pitches, but lost his way for a bit in the third, allowing three runs, giving up four hits, facing eight batters, throwing 30 pitches.
Jorge Mateo laced a one-out double, stole third and scored on catcher Mike Zunino’s errant throw. McClanahan walked No. 9 hitter Richie Martin on five pitches, then gave up a two-run homer to All-Star Cedric Mullins. Two two-out singles were to come, but McClanahan struck out Pedro Severino to escape further damage.
The Rays took the lead back in the fifth. Brandon Lowe doubled with one out, and Cruz, who had a tying homer and go-ahead double Friday, came up big again, with a two-run go-ahead homer. The blast to center was measured at 440 feet, which was appropriate since it was the 440th of his career, tying Jason Giambi for 43rd place alltime. Cruz set the tone for his big night in the first, lining a ball to left, then racing to second and sliding in head first for a double.
The Rays added on in the sixth, with some help from the Orioles. Wendle reached on an error by shortstop Martin, went to second on a groundout, and scored when Brett Phillips, who replaced Kiermaier, laced a ball down the first-base line that took a wicked hop and eluded Trey Mancini.
Dietrich Enns made his Rays debut, taking over in the eighth.
