Manny Machado walkoff RBI single lifts Orioles past Rays

Baltimore, MD, United States (4E Sports) – Rookie Manny Machado came up big once again, delivering a walkoff RBI single in the 14th inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles past the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2, Thursday at Camden Yards.

After scoring the game-winning run Wednesday, Machado hit a two-out single against reliever Chris Archer (0-3) that brought Adam Jones home to help the Orioles (81-62) end a streak of 14 straight seasons with a losing record from 1998 to 2011.

The victory helped the Orioles complete a three-game sweep and grab first place in the American League East, one-half game ahead of the New York Yankees, who play the Boston Red Sox later in the evening.

The Orioles have scored their 13th straight win in 15 extra-inning games and are 27-7 in one-run games.

The loss dropped the Rays four games behind the Orioles and 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the second AL Wild Card spot.

Randy Wolf (2-0) struck out Matt Joyce, the only batter he faced, in the top of the 14th inning to earn the victory. Starter Wei-Yin Chen gave up two runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out seven with just one walk.

The Rays scored first in the fourth inning behind a sacrifice fly by Jeff Keppinger that scored Ben Zobrist for a 1-0 lead.

Chen got his run support in the seventh inning when the Orioles scored two runs against reliever Wade Davis, who committed an error to allow Machado to reach first base and later walked Robert Andino.

Then, Davis surrendered a two-run double to Taylor Teagarden that handed the Orioles a 2-1 lead that did not last long as the Rays tied the count behind Zobrist’s RBI single.

The Orioles threatened in the eighth inning when Lew Ford and Chris Davis reached base after consecutive singles with one out. But Joel Peralta struck out Machado and Reynolds to end the threat.

Jeremy Hellickson pitched five-plus innings, allowing no runs on four hits before he was pulled out for Jake McGee in the sixth.

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