ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Brian Matusz allowed two runs over five innings, Garrett Atkins had two RBIs and the Baltimore Orioles avoided a season-opening three-game sweep by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Thursday night.
Matusz (1-0) overcame control problems to win his fifth straight decision, dating back to last season. The left-hander walked a career-high five, scattered two hits and struck out seven.
Matt Wieters had a RBI single and Atkins drove in a pair of runs with a single during a four-run sixth that gave the Orioles a 5-2 advantage. Baltimore had loaded the bases with no outs on a single, hit by pitch and walk against Mike Ekstrom (0-1).
The Rays drew just 16,191 to their third game of the season. They open a series with the Yankees Friday.
Rays starter Jeff Niemann left with one out in the second due to a bruised right shoulder, which occurred when he was hit by Miguel Tejada’s line drive. The team said Niemann is day to day.
Pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro pulled Tampa Bay to 5-3 on an RBI grounder in the seventh. Evan Longoria made it 5-4 with a run-scoring single off Jim Johnson during the eighth.
Jason Bartlett had an RBI single and Carl Crawford hit a sacrifice fly as the Rays went ahead 2-1 in the third. Matusz started the inning by walking Pat Burrell, Gabe Kapler and Kelly Shoppach.
Nolan Reimold put the Orioles up 1-0 with a third-inning solo homer.
Michael Gonzalez struggled in the ninth en route to his first save of the season. After starting the inning with two strikeouts, the left-hander then loaded the bases on a single and two walks before getting Ben Zobrist to fly out.
Baltimore’s Brian Roberts ended an 0 for 11 slide with an infield single during the fifth. He was limited to six games in spring training because of a slightly herniated disc in his back.
Wieters went 2 for 4, and has started the season with three consecutive multihit games.
NOTES: Orioles manager Dave Trembley said the Rays have “as good a rotation as anybody in this (AL East) division.” … Baltimore LF Felix Pie (left rotator cuff strain) was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game. … Johnson has been slowed by elbow tightness. … Orioles TV analyst Jim Palmer missed Thursday’s broadcast due to a bad chest cold and was replaced by Roch Kubatko. … SS Tim Beckham, taken first overall by Tampa Bay in the 2008 amateur draft, will start the season at Class-A Charlotte on the DL with a left wrist injury.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
