Gausman, Orioles defeat Rays 5-0 in opener of doubleheader

Considering the Orioles are in first place and have been for much of the season, it’s odd to see Gausman with a goose egg in the win column.

Tampa Bay led 3-1 in the sixth before Jones hit his 14th homer, Chris Davis added a two-run single and Mark Trumbo scored on a Tampa Bay throwing error.

Can Kevin Gausman pick up his first win of the season versus the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the doubleheader? Moore went 6.0 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out five and walking two in a 6-4 defeat to the Giants in his last outing. The right-hander received a standing ovation from the crowd of 18,229 upon leaving the mound following his 113th pitch. “I wasn’t sitting at home and just drinking some beer and not doing anything”, he said.

He retired 12 straight batters at one point and allowed only one runners past first base through the first seven innings. If I don’t walk guys, I’m going to give myself a pretty good chance.

Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop had two hits, scored twice and backed up Gausman with two outstanding defensive plays, including one in which he snagged a grounder in short center field and threw out the runner at first.

C Caleb Joseph (testicular injury and surgery) will catch in a game for the first time since the operation with Class A Frederick on Monday. The 26-year-old overlooked “prospect” if we can even still call him that has been stellar this year for the Rays going 6-0 in 7 starts and 3 relief appearances. “It’s a strength of ours”. These two have pushed or hit the under in all five games. The under is 6-2 in Gausman’s last 8 starts versus Tampa Bay.

“It’s rough”, longtime Tampa Bay standout Evan Longoria said. “If it’s the bottom of the lineup, top of the lineup, wherever they put me I will compete and I will do everything I can possibly to do help us win”.

Tampa Bay reliever Enny Romero was helped off the mound after a line drive headed toward his head struck him the palm of his left hand. “I just saw the ball coming to my face”.

“They’re all frustrating, whether you lose it early or a game gets away from you”, manager Kevin Cash said. Morrison’s RBI single made it 1-0 in the first inning, and Conger homered to right in the second.

The Orioles were able to string together a few hits and tacked on a run in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Rays: RHP Danny Farquhar was recalled from Triple-A Durham as the 26th player for the doubleheader. Duensing goes to Sarasota, Fla., in the next day or two to begin rehab work, Showalter said.

T.J. McFarland (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings, Brad Brach worked the eighth and Zach Britton got three outs for his 23rd save. They lead the division, but are only 1.5 games up on the Boston Red Sox and 2.5 games up on the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rays: OF Brandon Guyer (left hamstring strain) took live batting practice, ran out of the box and shagged flies in Florida.

Tillman (10-1, 3.11) comes in on a nine-game winning streak and is one of the best pitchers in the majors.