BALTIMORE (AP) — No lead is safe this year when the Baltimore Orioles face the Tampa Bay Rays.
Certainly not with seven innings still to play.
On June 18, Tampa Bay beat Baltimore 12-8 after the Orioles had taken an 8-0 lead in the top of the second. Then on Friday night — nine days later — it was the Rays who opened the scoring with six runs in the second. Only for Baltimore to storm back and rout Tampa Bay 22-8.
“I’m proud of our hitters,” Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “We were on the other side of this not too long ago.”
According to information released by the team from the Elias Sports Bureau, Baltimore became the first team in either the American or National League to win by at least 14 runs after trailing by six.
On a drizzly night at Camden Yards, the Orioles produced an offensive deluge, falling one run shy of the team record since moving to Baltimore. Gunnar Henderson and Gary Sanchez each had four hits and a homer. Colton Cowser doubled three times. He and Ramón Laureano each scored four runs.
With the Orioles down 6-0 in the second, Coby Mayo delivered a two-run double to start the comeback. When he came to the plate in the eighth, Baltimore led 20-8 and the Rays had infielder José Caballero pitching. Mayo took him deep for his first career homer to complete the scoring.
“An awesome moment obviously, no matter who it’s off of,” Mayo said. “Really cool thing.”
The last time two teams overcame deficits of at least six runs against each other was in 2023, according to Sportradar. Those two games also involved the Rays and happened in even closer proximity. On May 7 of that year, Tampa Bay trailed 6-0 before beating the New York Yankees 8-7 in 10 innings. On May 13, the Yankees fell behind 6-0 but came back to beat the Rays 9-8.
Baltimore’s 14 extra-base hits (nine doubles, a triple and four homers) set a team record since 1954, when the Orioles began playing in Baltimore.
This game came after Tampa Bay allowed one run total in a three-game sweep of Kansas City. And after the Orioles had been no-hit at least into the seventh inning in three of their previous five games.
They had 21 hits in this one.
“It was a lot of fun,” Cowser said. “That’s what this team’s capable of, and being able to go out there and have a game like that hopefully continues that motivation and confidence.”
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