It had been more than two months since the Orioles won a series on the road. Thanks to stout relief pitching and solid ninth-inning hitting, the Orioles took two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Their 8-5 win before 15,943 at Tropicana Field June 25 put them within one game of .500 and energized a team that had been sapped by a series of short starts.
Even though right-hander Chris Tillman was taken out in the fifth inning, manager Buck Showalter, with an off day at hand, had a full bullpen at his disposal.
When Tillman left in the fifth, the Orioles trailed 5-3. Right-hander Stefan Crichton, left-hander Richard Bleier and righties Darren O’Day and Brad Brach combined for 4.2 innings of shutout ball.
