BALTIMORE: Given that the Rays have the best record in the American League and that the Orioles under reconstruction have the lowest earnings percentage of the Majors, it’s fair to believe that Tampa Bay should win against Baltimore. But what it should it’s almost not guaranteed to happen in baseball, certainly not as often as when Rays and O entered the field this season.
Led by Joey Wendle with a performance of two men and six RBIs, the Rays finished an undefeated road trip to two cities with a 12-8 victory over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards to complete their season with 18 victories in 19 games.
Tampa Bay is only the third team in the MLB division era (since 1969) to win 18 games against an opponent in a single season. The others came in 2019, when Cleveland won 18-1 against Detroit and Houston finished 18-1 against Seattle.
The Rays have been courteous to the Orioles throughout the year, praising Baltimore for playing hard and pointing out that they had to come from behind in 10 of their 18 wins. But dominating any opponent at this level also reflects the consistency of Tampa Bay, a point of pride for defending AL champions.
“They are a young team. They go out and compete every day, ”said Wendle. “And I think doing the same thing and maintaining a level of focus throughout 19 games with them is just a testament to staying with us throughout the games.”
The Rays won their last nine games at Oriole Park, the longest winning streak at the ball park in franchise history, and won their last 12 overall clashes. Tampa Bay ended up beating Baltimore by 79 (150-71) a year – the second-largest career differential against a single opponent in the divisional era, behind the Dodgers +82 mark over the Padres in 1974.
Overall, the Rays have won seven straight games, the second-longest winning streak of the season, and lost just one of the last 12. Sunday’s win improved their record to 82-48, reaching their fourth season. consecutive. 10th in the club’s history, while coinciding with the all-time record of the franchise in a maximum of 34 games of the season above .500.
“It shows a level of consistency that we talk about a lot, that they get to the stadium, that they go out on the field and just stay there,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Proud of the way our guys have done it, no doubt against Baltimore, but throughout the season.”
Sunday’s game became a matter of late high scoring, with the Rays scoring nine runs in the sixth to eighth inning, while the Orioles responded with six during that stretch. But it started with an encouraging start from starter Chris Archer.
A week ago, Archer only lasted two innings on his return from the injured list due to left hip strain. He wasn’t entirely smooth sailing Sunday afternoon, but Archer looked a lot more like himself this time around. He stopped six and only walked one, as he allowed two runs in four hits in four innings.
The best part, Archer said, was finally being able to contribute after spending much of the season on the sidelines.
“I did what I was asked to do and I haven’t been able to do it in a long time,” Archer said. “So being out there, getting a team win, it felt great to just play baseball.”
The speed of Archer’s fastball, which slowed down the last time he came out, improved as he started. His first fast ball hit 88.4 mph, surpassing 95.2 mph on a heater against Jahmai Jones in the fourth inning. Their trademark slider remained effective, especially after the first entry, as the Orioles lost half of the 16 changes they took against.
“She was OK. Heater Veil was very nice there towards the end, “said Wendle.” It was great to play in the back. It means a lot to this organization and for him, going back to the mound and contributing again is amazing to see. ” .
Archer said it was also a good game for his father, Ron, who had a front row seat at Camden Yards. Ron reminded his son in a text message after the game that he was his favorite Rays pitcher. And his favorite player on the team is Wendle, who put an end to the 50-game drought at home.
After getting three first runs from Spenser Watkins with hits from Randy Arozarena and Wendle and a solo homer from Jordan Luplow, the Rays formation fell silent until the start of the sixth inning. Newcomer Wander Franco hit a simple lead on the left that extended his streak to 29 games, the second longest streak in AL history for a player 20 years or younger.
Austin Meadows then pitched his 22nd game of the season to the right, bringing his RBI total to a career-high 91. On the next pitch, Wendle finished the three-run box with his first homer since June 9, giving Tampa Bay its third consecutive homer pair this season.
Wendle didn’t wait long for his next long ball.
In front of unloader Paul Fry with the bases loaded in the seventh, Wendle threw a sliding 1-1 to the right field. It was the ninth hit of the season for Tampa Bay, AL leader, the third of Wendle’s career and the second of that year. This limited only their second multihomer game and a six RBI performance in the race that helped the Rays withstand the Orioles ’last rallies.
“It was a very big day,” Cash said. “Joey picked us up in a big way. We needed all that. ”