Rich Dubroff

Home runs by Santander, Mountcastle, Westburg power Orioles to 6-3 win over Rays

SCROLL DOWN TO READ ARTICLE

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida—After losing the last two games of a four-game series in Toronto, the Orioles rebounded behind three home runs and a solid start by Cole Irvin Irin, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 before 17,822 at Tropicana Field on Friday night in the first of another four-game series.

Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg provided the power. The home runs by Mountcastle and Westburg were two-run homers. Santander’s was a solo shot.

Santander led off the second with his fourth home run in the last seven games, his 13th of the season, against Tampa Bay starter Aaron Civale (2-5). Civale had limited the Orioles (40-22) to a run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings a week ago.

The Orioles took a 2-0 lead when Colton Cowser singled with one out, and after the intervention of a replay challenge, scored on Ramón Urías’ double.

Jose Siri’s sixth home run against Irvin (6-2) in the second made it 2-1, and the Rays (31-32) tied it when Amed Rosario’s sacrifice fly in the third scored Yandy Diaz.

Gunnar Henderson singled to lead off the fifth, and with one out,  Mountcastle’s home run, which was barely fair, put the Orioles ahead, 4-2. Mountcastle has been hot this week, hitting a pair of homers against Tampa Bay on Saturday and in Toronto on Tuesday. He has 11 this season.

Irvin got the first two outs in the sixth before Siri singled. Jonny DeLuca broke an 0-for-27 with single, and with runners on first and second, Tyler Walls grounded to Henderson at deep short, who threw to first wildly, allowing Siri to score.

With runners on second and third, Jacob Webb replaced Irvin and retired José Caballero on a fly ball to left.

In the eighth, Ryan O’Hearn led off with a double against Chris Devenski and scored on Westburg’s 10th home run with one out.

Irvin allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Webb allowed a hit in a scoreless seventh, and Yennier Cano walked one and struck out two in a scoreless eighth.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 14th save of the season and the 431st of his career with a perfect ninth.

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

Share
Published by
Rich Dubroff

Recent Posts

  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles fall to lowest point since 2021 in 4-0 loss to Twins

BALTIMORE--What happened? For the first time since the end of the 2021 season, a year…

May 15, 2025
  • Mailbag

Has the Orioles’ window for contention closed? | MAILBAG

Question: Are you surprised at how short the window for contention was for the Orioles? …

May 15, 2025
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles lose doubleheader to Twins, fall 11 games under .500

BALTIMORE--What happened? The Orioles looked as if they were about to split Wednesday’s doubleheader, and…

May 15, 2025
  • Peter Schmuck

Peter Schmuck: Orioles suffer a familiar fate in first game of twinbill

BALTIMORE-In a game that shined with the promise of a three-run third inning, the Orioles…

May 14, 2025
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles’ injury update: Urías returns, setback for Westburg, Kittredge’s progression; McDermott could start Game 2

BALTIMORE—The Orioles reinstated infielder Ramón Urías from the 10-day injured list before Game 1 of…

May 14, 2025
  • The Bird Tapes

Spirit of ’66: Eddie Watt’s strong arm couldn’t save him from 1 unfortunate pitch

Years ago, when the Baltimore Sun sent me around the country to write about former Orioles from…

May 14, 2025