Rays 3, Orioles 0
BALTIMORE -- Steven Souza Jr. and Joey Butler each hit early solo home runs, and Erasmo Ramirez pitched seven shutout innings as the Tampa Bay Rays ended a six-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
Third baseman Evan Longoria hit a sacrifice fly in the first before right fielder Souza and left fielder Butler hit their home runs in the second and third innings, respectively, to give the Rays (25-25) a quick 3-0 lead.
That was plenty for Ramirez (3-2), who set season-high marks in innings and strikeouts (seven) while allowing only three hits.
The right-hander, who has won three of his last four starts, ran into trouble only once but escaped when Butler threw out catcher Steve Clevenger at the plate on a fifth-inning single by second baseman Ryan Flaherty.
That ended the inning, and the Orioles didn't get another base runner.
Right-hander Brandon Gomes came on to take care of the eighth before closer Brad Boxberger finished things in the ninth and earned his 14th save.
Ramirez also continued a recent impressive run from Tampa Bay starters, who have gone 25 1/3 innings without giving up a run.
Baltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen (1-4) took the loss despite pitching well.
The left-hander gave up those three early runs but nothing else, lasting seven innings to give the over-used Orioles bullpen a break, but the Orioles (23-25) couldn't support him on offense.
Chen gave up those two home runs and has allowed 10 already this season in only 61 2/3 innings.
The Rays jumped ahead with single runs against Chen in each of the first three innings.
Left fielder Brandon Guyer led off the game with a double to left, moved to third when Butler got an infield single and scored on third baseman Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly.
That gave the Rays a 1-0 lead after only three batters and Souza made it 2-0 with his second home run in two days, a solo shot to start the second.
Butler made it 3-0 with his one-out solo home run in the third. He also helped on defense in the fifth inning by throwing out catcher Steve Clevenger at the plate on second baseman Ryan Flaherty's single to left.
NOTES: Orioles CF Adam Jones did not start Saturday for the first time all season. He rolled his left ankle sliding during Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox and it was sore and swollen on Saturday morning. Orioles manager Buck Showalter held Jones out and was unsure about playing him on Sunday. ... Showalter also said that he probably won't use a six-man rotation when RHP Bud Norris (bronchitis) returns from the disabled list in the coming days, which means some kind of a move would need to be made with the starting pitchers. ... Rays manager Kevin Cash liked OF Jake Elmore's effort at first base on Friday. Elmore has played two games at first base in his 98-game major league career. Cash started him there again Saturday and will use him as an option in the future with Logan Forsythe getting more time at first while the Rays wait for the return of 1B James Loney (out up to six weeks because of a broken finger). ... The Rays reinstated LHP C.J. Riefenhauser (shoulder inflammation) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Durham.