ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Kelly Shoppach hit his second career grand slam and a solo homer Saturday, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth, Sean Rodriguez had an RBI double before Shoppach hit his slam to make it 5-3. Shoppach's solo shot in the eighth was just his third extra-base hit since June 30.
Tampa Bay's Andy Sonnanstine (3-1), making his second start for the injured Jeff Niemann, gave up three runs and three hits over five innings. Niemann, sidelined by a strained right shoulder, could rejoin the rotation within the next two weeks.
Adam Jones hit a three-run homer for the Orioles, who are 9-3 under new manager Buck Showalter.
Brian Matusz (4-12) became the AL's second 12-game loser along with teammate Kevin Millwood. Matusz allowed five runs and nine hits in four innings.
Shoppach's fourth-inning homer was the first by a Tampa Bay right-handed hitter since Jason Bartlett connected for a pinch-hit grand slam on August 5 against Minnesota. The Rays won for the third time in the last 10 games.
Shoppach tied a career-high with five RBIs in his fifth multihomer game.
Willy Aybar's fifth-inning run-scoring single extended Tampa Bay's lead to 6-3.
Jones put the Orioles ahead 3-0 on his homer off Sonnanstine during the third. Jones is 6 for 11 with three homers overall against the right-hander.
A base running gaffe cost Tampa Bay in the third. With runners on first and second, Bartlett hit a one-out single to center. Third base coach Tom Foley stopped Gabe Kapler, who was on second, at third, but B.J. Upton didn't stop at second and wound up at third, too. So Kapler broke for the plate and was thrown out.
The Rays' third ended without a run when Carl Crawford grounded out.
Baltimore loaded the bases with one out in the first, but failed to score when Jones fouled out and Felix Pie hit a grounder.
NOTES: Shoppach also hit a grand slam on July 9, 2009, with Cleveland against the Chicago White Sox. Saturday's homers were his first since June 24. ... Jones has five RBIs in the last two games. ... Rays 1B Carlos Pena (sore right foot) is scheduled to play for Class-A Charlotte on Sunday and could return from the 15-day disabled list on Monday.
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