Sept. 15 (UPI) — Luke Raley showcased his hitting skills by driving a 409-foot home run to dead center field, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a victory over the Baltimore Orioles and bringing them within one game of first place in their division.
Raley’s powerful solo shot, clocking at 110 mph, occurred in the seventh inning during Thursday’s game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. In addition to his home run, Raley went 2 for 3 and scored twice throughout the game.
“Hopefully I can build off of it,” Raley commented. He hadn’t hit a home run since August 24, so this one felt particularly good for him.
With this victory, the Rays have now reached the same number of wins as the Orioles this season (91-57). By winning Friday’s game in Baltimore, the Rays can tie their rivals for the lead in the American League East. This weekend’s games at Camden Yards could potentially give one team the edge in the tight race for the division title.
The Rays’ relief pitchers, including Colin Poche, Shawn Armstrong, Robert Stephenson, and Pete Fairbanks, held the Orioles hitless and scoreless for the final four innings of Thursday’s game. All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena also contributed to the victory with a two-run triple.
Neither team scored in the first inning. The Orioles took an early lead in the second inning when first baseman Ryan O’Hearn hit a solo home run. However, Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe quickly tied the game with an RBI single in the third inning. Arozarena followed up with an RBI triple, giving the Rays the lead.
Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson closed in on the deficit with a solo home run in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, second baseman Adam Frazier’s RBI groundout brought the game to a tie. The sixth inning passed with no team reaching base.
In the seventh inning, starting pitcher Kyle Bradish of the Orioles forced groundouts from designated hitter Harold Ramirez and shortstop Taylor Walls. That set the stage for Raley’s moment. After failing to hit a pitch and watching three pitches miss the strike zone, Raley smashed the next pitch, a 3-1 slider, for a go-ahead home run. The blast cleared the outfield fence after traveling 120 feet above the field, as recorded by Statcast.
Shawn Armstrong and Robert Stephenson retired the Orioles in order in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Pete Fairbanks then struck out Henderson, designated hitter Anthony Santander, and O’Hearn in the ninth inning, securing the Rays’ victory and his 24th save of the season.
Although Aaron Civale, the Rays’ starting pitcher, allowed four hits and three runs while recording eight strikeouts over five innings, he was not credited with a decision. Bradish, on the other hand, allowed seven hits and four runs over seven innings, resulting in his record dropping to 11-7 this season.
The Orioles will host the Rays at 7:05 p.m. EDT on Friday in Baltimore.
