(SportsNetwork.com) - The Baltimore Orioles will try to lock up a series victory on Wednesday night as they play the second of three straight games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Orioles snapped a two-game slide with last night's 5-3 victory, keyed by a two-run eighth inning that featured a 19-minute delay due to the loss of power.
With the score even, Matt Wieters singled to begin the frame and Steve Clevenger smacked a one-out double. The lights then went out after a transformer was hit by lightning and following the break, Steve Pearce drew a walk to load the bases.
Ryan Flaherty then scored Wieters with a single to right and Nick Markakis brought home an insurance run with a fielder's choice.
"I think we had a lot of patient at-bats," said Baltimore manager Buck Showalter. "You know how much they want to hit and be the guy to do it for the club."
Showalter hopes to have Wieters in the lineup tonight as the catcher is set to visit Dr. James Andrew today after having an MRI on his right elbow Monday. Wieters has been dealing with soreness and served as the designed hitter in last night's opener, with Clevenger behind the plate.
Wieters is hitting .341 on the season in 23 games with five homers and 18 RBI.
Evan Longoria homered and Ben Zobrist knocked in a run last night for the Rays, who had won four of five coming in. Chris Archer received a no-decision for Tampa Bay after he surrendered three runs on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts over five frames.
"(Archer) did OK," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "It was a really good game. They pitched well, we pitched well. It was one big inning that did us in."
Maddon will give Cesar Ramos the start on Wednesday looking for the hurler to log some innings. The lefty did not get a decision in his last start on Thursday, a 2-1 Tampa Bay victory in Boston, after lasting just 4 2/3 innings. Ramos gave up just one run and a single hit, but also walked six.
Ramos, who pitched an inning of relief on Saturday versus the New York Yankees, is 1-1 on the year with a 2.91 earned run average in nine outings, including four starts. He will make his first career start versus the Orioles, but has faced them 14 times out of the bullpen and has posted a 3.63 ERA against them without a decision.
Baltimore will go with Bud Norris, who has won consecutive starts to get to 2-2 on the season with a 3.94 ERA in five outings.
The 29-year-old righty is coming off a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday, yielding a run over 5 1/3 innings after working around seven hits and a walk.
Norris is 1-2 lifetime versus the Rays with a 4.19 ERA in four games (3 starts).
The Orioles lost 13 of 19 against the Rays a season ago, going 3-7 on the road, but have won all three meetings this season.
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