Game 1: Dave Rose was outstanding and the Rays got the runs they needed late to take a 6-1 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. Rose improved to 15-5 and went over the 4-WAR threshold with a 7 4 1 1 2 7 outing. Doug Johns was the hero on offense, hitting a solo homer (#34) and a pair of RBI singles, one of which broke a 1-1 tie in the 6th as the Rays piled on after that.
Game 2: Nelson Bocardo's 2-run single in the 8th gave the Rays a 4-3 win over Baltimore. Luis Barela's 2-run shot (#46) put them up 2-0 early, but the Orioles got 3 off Bob Riley (16-8) in the 5th. Riley did hang around long enough for the win with a decent 7 9 3 3 0 4 outing, and Steve Falcon secured save #29.
Game 3: The Rays battled back once again to sweep Baltimore, overcoming a 7-4 deficit through 7 innings and winning 9-7 in 10. The winner scored on a wild pitch and then Alex Duran added insurance with an RBI single, his 4th hit and 3rd ribbie of a day which included HR #12 for him. Tony Olivo was 3-5 with a double and solo homer (#2), and Chris Parham added a bases-empty blast (#8) as the Rays scored once in the 8th and twice in the 9th to force extras. Chad Gardner was effective against his former team (5 5 3 2 2 7) but Mel Mejia and Abelaldo Gray combined to allow 4 runs in the 6th to make it 7-4 Baltimore. Satoshi Sato ended up with his 11th relief win of the year and Steve Falcon saved for the second straight day, his 30th.
Team record: 105-50. Next up: 3 games in Toronto as we begin the final week of the regular season.
Going into that final week, here's where things stand around MLB:
The White Sox/Detroit loser will claim the first AL wild card but Oakland and Minnesota are fighting over the second with Boston and Texas ready to pounce if they both slip up. Simliar story in the NL with the Cubs one up on Arizona for the 2nd wild card and the Mets with an outside chance.