In the first division match-up of the year, Tampa Bay Rays' Chris Archer takes on the Baltimore Orioles Chris Tillman in Baltimore. Tampa Bay would quickly open up the scoring gap after All-Star and legendary Ray' 3B Evan Longoria blasts a two out home run to left field, to be followed by a double to right from Corey Dickerson. Desmond Jennings would walk on a 3-2 pitch as Brad Miller comes up to the plate, and Tillman throws a wild pitch to advance both runners, before Miller strikes out. Joey Rickard leads off for Baltimore, and taps one to SS Brad Miller, who can't get to it in time and picks up the first Baltimore hit of the ball game. The Rays however, would get that hit back after Nolan Reimold swung on a first pitch fast ball by Archer, batting into a double play. Archer retires the side with a full count strikeout on Manny Machado as the top of the 2nd arrives in Baltimore. Steven Souza Jr. launches an infield hit past Tillman, and Schoop can't get it to Davis in time as the Rays get the leadoff man aboard. Centerfield sensation Kevin Kiermaier bats into a double play on an 0-1 pitch. Tillman retires Hank Conger to go to Baltimore's side of things in the second.
In Archer's first pitch of the inning, Chris Davis bombs a home run to the centerfield wall, with his second home run of the season. Davis, who leads Homers hit since 2012, hit what was only his second homer off of ace Chris Archer. After striking out Matt Wieters, Pedro Alvarez knocks one to Logan Forsythe, who lands the double play (getting Trumbo out at second) to close the inning. Logan Forsythe, who won Tampa Bay's 2015 MVP award, draws a leadoff walk as Logan Morrison comes to the plate. Tillman strikes out LoMo to bring up Longoria. After retiring Evan Longoria, Corey Dickerson would ground into a double play as Tampa leaves Forysthe aboard. After Ryan Flaherty takes a 3-1 lead in the count against Arch, Archer catches up and strikes him out. Rickard hits one to Kiermaier to get aboard. Archer strikes out Reimold to head into the bottom of the third. After Tillman strikes out Jennings and Miller fouls out, Souza Jr. strikes out as the Rays go 1-2-3 out of the inning.
The bottom of the fourth starts off with Archer pitching to Machado, who pops it up as Morrison gets the first out of the inning. Archer walks Chris Davis, as Mark Trumbo flies out to center. Davis goes into second after a wild pitch. A Matt Wieters single drives in Baltimore who takes the 2-1 lead. With 2 outs in the 9th and Wieters aboard, Alvarez taps it to Morrison to close out the fourth inning. Sun Sports broadcasts shows Tampa's win over the Oakland Athletics 14 years ago where Joey Gathright scores in the bottom of the tenth to win it. Rays were unsuccessful in getting a man aboard in the fifth.
Baltimore Rocks Chris Archer
First pitch into the second half of the fifth, Jonathon Schoop bombs a slider into the Orioles bullpen, to extend the O's lead to 3-1. With two outs in the fifth, Archer gives up yet another homer, this time to Nolan Reimold. Manny Machado hits the third long ball of the inning off of a slider, as Archer faces Chris Davis. Davis is walked as pitching coach Jim Hickey heads to the mound. Trumbo heads up to the plate as Enny Romero warms up in the Tampa Bay Bullpen. Trumbo gets a base hit as Baltimore puts runners on each corner. Chris Davis crosses the plate as Wieters gets an infield single, on a pitch that deflects off of Archer. Archer retires Alvarez with a pop up to center. The Orioles enter line-up had a plate appearance in the fifth inning, as Archer allowed 4 home runs for the first time in his career. This is the most home runs given up by a Rays pitcher in a single ball-game since Toronto hit six off of James Shields in August of 2010.
McFarland takes over in the fifth as LoMo gets aboard in his first hit of the season. Longoria comes up to the plate, who reaches first off of a fielder's choice. Tampa leaves Longo aboard as Baltimore is up in the sixth. Archer does not come out in the sixth, leaving the game after a total of 97 pitches. Romero strikes out Schoop to begin the inning. Romero puts up a perfect inning. Tampa can't score in the top of the 7th. No more runs score heading into the 9th inning.
With Brad Brach on the mound in the top of the 9th, retiring Longoria, prior to walking Corey Dickerson. Tampa will leave Dickerson aboard, with Chris Tillman picking up the win as the O's take the game 6-1. This puts the Rays at 2-3 on the year thus far and one game behind .500, with the Orioles moving to 4-0, and leading the AL East.