Baltimore Orioles Dominate Tampa Bay Rays For Third Straight Win, Clinch Series

In their last visit to Tropicana Field this season in May, the Baltimore Orioles were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game set. This time around, things were different on their next trip.

On Sunday afternoon, the Orioles capped off a third straight win against one of the league’s hottest teams with a dominant 10-2 victory, marking their sixth straight win against the Rays. In the blink of an eye, Baltimore looked like the more dominant team against the American League’s best.

Just about everything went right for Baltimore in the series’ third contest. The Orioles’ offense combined for a 10-run outburst in the fifth and sixth innings, backing up a superb quality start from Trevor Rogers to clinch the series win.

The outcome was all that Orioles manager Craig Albernaz could have asked for upon heading into the series. 

"We really believe we can play with anyone. You have to believe that,” Albernaz said, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. “I truly believe that, and the guys in that room believe it most importantly."

Since the day the Orioles were swept by Tampa Bay in May, they have gone 40-34, playing winning baseball. With Sunday’s win, they are now tied for an AL Wild Card in what is turning out to be a tough battle with many other teams.

Ultimately, despite the many inconsistencies this season and an array of injuries throughout, the Orioles have found a way to stay afloat in the postseason race and in a position to make noise down the stretch. When things could have gone south this weekend, it instead took the turn the Orioles badly needed.

Trevor Rogers set the tone for the win in a stellar start, tossing six innings, striking out six batters and allowing just two runs. His outing was miles better than what he turned in last time out at Tropicana Field, bouncing back from a seven-run outing there in May.

Rogers said the Orioles’ clubhouse did not use the team selling at the trade deadline as an excuse for the remainder of the season. That has been evident in the way they looked as a group this weekend.

"Relatively speaking, we're the same team,” Rogers said. “We knew that we believe in what we have here. We didn’t really look into it too deeply, because we knew we had a lot of games to play on the back end.”

Rogers’ start paved the way for the bats to explode. Baltimore’s offense looked electric in the sixth inning, as they saw eight consecutive batters reach via a hit or walk to cap off a seven-run frame, putting the game away.

Baltimore will look to cap off a four-game sweep in the series finale on Monday. A win would not only indicate more ground in the postseason race, but a loud statement towards the rest of the league to show they are a true contender. 

"I don't think it's much of a fluke,” said Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday. “We have a really good team, and we’re going out there and showing it."