O’s deflate Rays
Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer and Brian Roberts added a two-run shot to help the Baltimore Orioles stop a six-game losing streak with an 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Monday night.
Markakis, after the first two Baltimore batters walked, made it 3-0 with his three-run shot off Scott Kazmir (3-3) in the first. He has a hit in 19 of his last 20 games, and has reached base safely in 35 straight games, which is the longest active streak in the majors.
After Aubrey Huff had a sacrifice fly and Ty Wigginton hit an RBI double off reliever Joe Nelson in the seventh, Roberts extended the Orioles’ advantage to 8-4 on his eighth-inning homer. Reliever Danys Baez (2-1) threw two scoreless innings for the win.
Evan Longoria homered for the Rays, who were coming off a series in which they won three of four against the Boston Red Sox. Kazmir allowed six runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Longoria pulled Tampa Bay within 3-1 on his eighth homer in the bottom of the first. The 2008 AL rookie of the year has three homers and driven in nine runs over his last five games.
Jason Bartlett’s second RBI grounder of the game cut the Rays’ deficit to 4-3 in the fourth.
Roberts singled in the seventh to stop an 0-for-18 slide. Adam Eaton gave up four runs and five hits over five-plus innings.
The announced crowd was 12,658. Tampa Bay started the day with a home attendance average of 28,867.