Dropped the finale: Orioles 5, Rays 3

The Rays got behind quickly and couldn’t come back.

The Rays and O’s are at it again for the third and final time this weekend. With the series win in hand, Ryan Pepiot takes the mound for the Rays, while Trevor Rogers starts this one for Baltimore.

It took just two pitches for the Orioles to take the lead in this one, as Jackson Holliday hit a leadoff solo shot to right field off of Pepiot.

That solo home run wouldn’t be the first surrendered by Pepiot, as he allowed another one to go in the third, this time to old friend Alex Jackson. Pepiot’s struggles against the O’s continued after the Jackson home run, and he allowed the next two hitters on with a walk and a hit. Gunnar Henderson scored both of them with a double, doubling Baltimore’s lead to 4-0.

The Rays finally responded in the bottom of the third. Yandy Diaz hit a two-out double to center, and Junior Caminero brought him home with an RBI single to left, making it 4-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Danny Jansen brought in one run closer, hitting a solo home run over the left field wall to make it 4-2.

Pepiot worked two-consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth, locking back in after the early damage, but in the top of the sixth, he allowed a solo home run to Ryan O’Hearn to give that run back to the O’s, making it 5-2. With six inning in the books, the rain started to fall, and the tarp was brought out shortly after, putting this one in a rain delay.

Pepiot was set to be pulled before the rain hit, bringing his final line to five earned runs over six inning of work, six hits and eight strikeouts, along with one walk. Once the tarp was lifted, Ian Seymour entered the game to work the top of the seventh.

Seymour kept the game within reach with two scoreless innings, and Bryan Baker worked a scoreless top of the ninth to give the offense one last chance at a comeback.

Taylor Walls did his part to start, hitting an RBI base hit to plate Danny Jansen, who had walked earlier in the inning. Ha-Seong Kim and Yandy Diaz both drew walks to load the bases with two outs for Junior Caminero, but Junior struck out to end this one.

The Rays dropped the finale, and will stay home to welcome the Chicago White Sox to Steinbrenner Field for a three-game series. Shane Baz gets the start for the Rays tomorrow night against Sean Burke, with first pitch scheduled for 7:35 pm.