Tampa Bay Rays Lose Second Straight as Orioles Win in Extra Innings

For the second straight game, the Tampa Bay Rays cannot find the win column.  The team fell at home 4-3 to the Baltimore Orioles. Their second one-run loss in a row at Tropicana Field. The team sits at 74-48 and still holds a 6.5-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East Division standings.  Here is what you need to know from the contest.  Orioles needed extras.  It was another hard-thought game from the Tampa Bay Rays as they rallied once again in the bottom of the ninth to push extra innings against the Orioles. However, in the tenth inning, Tyler O'Neal drove in a go-ahead single for the game-winning run.  It was the first run the Orioles scored since the sixth inning. Both Pete Alonso and Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit home runs in the outing, both off starter Ian Seymour.  Seymour still pitched a solid start, going six innings and allowing only three earned runs, with two of them coming off those homers. He allowed six hits, walked one, and struck out nine Baltimore batters in the contest.  The Rays' bullpen also had a solid game. Casey Legumina pitched two innings and struck out four batters in the contest. Overall, Tampa Bay made Baltimore strike out 15 times in the game. Bryan Baker was awarded his first loss of the season after allowing the extra runner to score in the tenth inning.  Rays bats are fine Despite the second loss in a row, the Tampa Bay Rays continue to do well at the plate. The team picked up 11 hits, struck out only five times, and drew five walks against Orioles pitching.  Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Chandler Simpson all recorded multiple hits in the game as the team continues to get good base traffic. The only downside from the offense on Saturday night was the team going only 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position, something that could improve, hopefully, by the series finale on Sunday.  Not time to panic.  Just because the Rays have lost the last two games at home doesn't mean it's time to be worried. Tampa Bay is still 41 and 20 at Tropicana Field and still holds a good, surmountable lead against the Yankees for the division, thanks to that great road trip they just returned from.  The team is not playing bad baseball. They just haven't been able to find victories over the last two games. Tampa Bay still has a chance to even the series, as the team is playing four games against Baltimore at Tropicana. Game three is scheduled for Sunday at 12:15 p.m. Freddy Peralta will get his third chance in a Tampa Bay uniform with the start.