I have started writing recaps prior to the 8th inning as you just never know with this team. But despite a rocky 9th inning for O’s closer Felix Bautista in which the first two batters for the Rays reached base and the lead run came to the plate, the Orioles escaped Tuesday night with a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
In what was bound to be a fun pitching matchup the Rays sent Zach Eflin, their highest paid free agent ever, to the mound to face Grayson Rodriguez, the O’s top pitching prospect.
Rodriguez, a 23-year-old right hander for the O’s, delivered 5.