O’s fall to Rays, keep hold of Wild Card spot

ST. PETERSBURG — Corey Dickerson’s two-out, seventh-inning RBI double off Orioles reliever Mychal Givens was just enough to give Tampa Bay a 7-6 win over Baltimore on Wednesday.

The O’s, who have won 11 of 15 games against Tampa Bay, stayed one game up on the Tigers, who lost to the White Sox, 7-4, for the second American League Card spot, but they dropped to 1 1/2 games behind Toronto and Boston in the American League East race as they head to Detroit for a Wild Card-hopeful showdown.

Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier — who homered in the first inning — drove in three runs off Orioles starter Dylan Bundy, including a pair of two-out runs that chased the rookie righty in the fourth. Nick Franklin also homered off Bundy in the second, driving in Mikie Mahtook. Bundy went 3 2/3 innings, matching Rays starter Drew Smyly, as both teams went to their bullpens early.

“Really good win today,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The guys, I’m really impressed with the way they kept coming back. Tough at-bats, we were facing some tough pitching. A lot of guys contributed. Nick Franklin, [Kiermaier] had the big day. Mikie Mahtook helped us a lot offensively.”

Orioles outfielder Michael Bourn, acquired last week, homered as part of a three-run third inning off Smyly while shortstop J.J. Hardy doubled in two runs.

“It was challenging coming in here, the last three games. They were playing good baseball. Playing in a venue, you really got to be ready to go. We knew we were going to face good starting pitching and our guys handled it,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of taking two of three games.

“Now, we go into another hostile place. I tell our guys to stay focused on how much fun it is to be playing these type of games. Our guys aren’t dreading it all. They are looking forward to being in that arena. To being on that stage, because they’ve earned the right to be there. Lot of clubs would love to …

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