BALTIMORE (AP) — Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum hit solo homers, and the Tampa Bay Rays kept the Baltimore Orioles hitless through the first six innings in a 6-2 victory Wednesday night.
After the Rays built a 5-0 lead in the seventh, the only suspense was whether starter Shane Baz and a host of relievers would combine for the second no-hitter in franchise history.
Baz pitched four innings, walking three, and Edwin Uceta (10-3) and Garrett Cleavinger kept it going with a perfect inning apiece. But the Rays’ bid to complete the first no-hitter of 2025 ended when Tyler O’Neill led off the seventh with a line-drive single to center off Griffin Jax.
Baltimore added a pair of hits — including a two-run single by Jordan Westburg — in the eighth.
After being blanked 6-0 by the Orioles on Tuesday, the Rays wasted no time getting started in this one. Chandler Simpson hit a leadoff single off Tyler Wells (2-1), and Lowe followed with an RBI double.
Hunter Feduccia doubled in a run in the second inning and Lowe hit his 31st homer in the third.
Key moment
Tampa Bay took the lead for good two batters into the game, and after that the only suspense was whether Baltimore would get a hit. The possibility of a no-hitter was very real until O’Neill ended the bid with his single on an 0-1 pitch.
Key stat
By throwing a combined nine shutout innings in his last two starts, Baz finished with a 4.87 ERA. That enabled him to avoid becoming the first qualifying Rays pitcher to finish with a 5.00 ERA or higher since Jeremy Hellickson (5.17 in 2013).
Up next
Baltimore’s final home game Thursday afternoon matches Tampa Bay RHP Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.80 ERA) against Cade Povich (3-8, 5.06). Rasmussen is riding a franchise-record streak of 16 starts allowing five hits or fewer, although in his last outing he lasted only three innings against Boston.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
