Orioles Get Win Over Rays, Chris Davis Scares Fans With Early Exit

The Baltimore Orioles continued their dominance over the Tampa Bay Rays and everyone can rest easy after first baseman Chris Davis was pulled early from the game.

Manny Machado launched his third grand slam of the season and Yovani Gallardo had a solid outing, but the concern was that Chris Davis exited the game early with what looked like a back or oblique injury. Everyone can take a collective sigh of relief. He is fine.

The offense was led by Machado’s five RBI and solo shots from Davis and Adam Jones propelled the Baltimore Orioles to take the first two games of the series at Tropicana Field. The news everyone was waiting for after the game was the update on the $161 million man.

Davis: “I’ve been playing with it since April, so we’ll keep going. We’ll see what tomorrow brings when tomorrow brings it.” #orioles
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) September 7, 2016

Buck Showalter scared the entire fan base in the fifth inning when Davis was pulled from the game. He appeared to grimace in his last at bat and many thought it could be a core injury. Steve Pearce replaced Davis at first, and Michael Bourn took Pearce’s spot in left field. The damage was already done as the offense had their way with Jake Odorizzi.

The Rays were the first on the board with a lead off home run by Logan Forsythe. It was the second consecutive start in which Gallardo opened the game with a lead off homer. The offense trailed before stepping onto the field in back-to-back nights.

It was Davis who answered in the next inning with a solo home run of his own, showing great power to get the ball over the left field wall. It is the 35th long ball for the slugger and he is red hot in September.

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Baltimore had Odorrizi on the ropes in fourth with the bases loaded and one out following a Davis single, Matt Wieters walk and Jonathan Schoop being hit by a pitch. J.J. Hardy worked the count to 3-2 before a broken-bat double to score two runs and give the O’s the runs needed to get a win.

The inning did not stop there, however. Jones grounded out for the second out of the inning, but Pedro Alvarez drew a walk to once again load the bases. That’s when Machado blew the game open with the grand slam to make it a 7-1 ballgame.

The Rays got one run back in the bottom half of the fourth on a Steven Souza fielder’s choice to score Brad Miller. Miller reached home on a throwing error by Machado, but the Orioles will take the rare fielding mistake in exchange for his fantastic day at the plate.

Baltimore would add a run in the seventh on a Franklin throwing error that brought Pearce to the plate. Jones got in on the fun in the eighth inning, leading off the frame with a solo shot for his 26th round tripper on the season.

Alvarez added another run in the top of the night on an RBI single. One at bat later, Machado singled home his fifth RBI of the night to give the Orioles the 11-2 advantage. The RBI now gives Manny 90 on the season.

Gallardo would last five innings, giving up one earned run on five hits and a walk while striking out five batters. Much like Ubaldo Jimenez‘s start on Monday, it was a rough first inning for the Orioles starter, but was able to avoid any more damage the rest of the way. That is the type of effort the team consistently needs if he hopes to hold on to his spot in the rotation once Chris Tillman is off the disabled list.

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The O’s are 11-3 against the Rays this season and Dylan Bundy will get the start against Drew Smyly in the series finale. Baltimore is one game behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the chase for the AL East after they lost to the New York Yankees Tuesday night.

It helps, but the Orioles control their own fate with 24 games remaining. The Orioles have to beat up on teams like the Rays. They take care of business the rest of the way and they will be in the postseason once again.

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