Baltimore, MD – Chris Davis hit a solo homer and finished with four RBI, helping the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-2, in the finale of a three-game series.
Adam Jones knocked in two runs for the Orioles, who snapped a three-game skid.
Chris Tillman (3-1) gave up two runs on five hits over six-plus innings to pick up the win for Baltimore, which was outscored by a 13-2 margin over the first two games of this series.
Sam Fuld went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Rays, who were trying for their first three-game winning streak since a four-game run from June 7-10.
James Shields (8-7) allowed five runs on six hits over six full frames to take the loss. He struck out 10 and walked five.
"To win two out of three and pick up a game, had you told me before we came here that would've happened, I would have said, 'I'm signing up for that right now,'" Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
The Orioles broke a scoreless tie with a five-run fifth. Nick Markakis singled, J.J. Hardy was hit by a pitch and Jim Thome walked to load the bases with one out. Jones followed with a two-run single to left. Matt Wieters walked to fill the bags again for Davis, who hit a three-run double to left- center field.
"Tillman kept us in that game with Shields going up there, throwing up zeroes," Davis said. "We got to him later in the game, and Tillman was there with him the entire way. Really proud of him, the way he threw the ball today."
The Rays finally got on the board in the seventh. Ryan Roberts walked and moved to third on Carlos Pena's ground-rule double to left. Fuld cleared the bases with a double to left, chasing Tillman from the game. Darren O'Day took over and recorded the first out before Elliot Johnson reached first on second baseman Omar Quintanilla's fielding error. However, Desmond Jennings popped out and B.J. Upton flied out to keep it a 5-2 game.
Davis' solo homer off Burke Badenhop in the bottom half of the frame made it a four-run contest.
Pedro Strop and Jim Johnson pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to seal the victory.
Game Notes
The Rays lead the season series, 5-4...Shields fell to 9-6 lifetime against the Orioles...Tillman improved to 1-2 in six starts versus the Rays...Tampa Bay's bullpen came into Thursday's game with a streak of 21.0 scoreless innings...Baltimore selected the contract of pitcher Dana Eveland from Triple- A Norfolk and optioned infielder Steve Tolleson to the Tides on Thursday.
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