TAMPA – The Rays’ offense entered tonight’s game scorching hot. In four consecutive games, all wins, Tampa had posted at least seven runs. 

For the first time in what has felt like a long time, the Rays were stifled. Orioles pitching won the night in Baltimore's 5-1 victory. 

"It seems like 26 guys are playing well right now," interim manager Tony Mansolino said after the game.

The story was Dean Kremer and the bullpen, but the O's offense got things started. 

All Jordan Westburg has done since returning from the injured list is produce. His second-inning double, hit over 110 mph off the bat, set the Orioles up with their first scoring chance of the night. Ryan O’Hearn pushed him to third, and Ramón Laureano brought him home to make it 1-0 Baltimore. 

At the time of his double, Westburg’s OPS in the seven games since his return shot up to 1.326. 

Kremer’s night didn’t get off to the best start. Four consecutive pitches, three of which were four-seam fastballs, missed the zone against leadoff hitter Josh Lowe. But his defense helped him out. 

The next batter, Brandon Lowe, grounded into a double play. An inning later, Jonathan Aranda was gunned down by Laureano after trying to stretch a single into a double. A few batters later, Adley Rutschman came up firing to second on a dribbler right in front of him for a force out. 

That’s the kind of high-quality defense required to beat a high-quality team in Tampa Bay. And it allowed Kremer to settle in. 

Things got a bit rocky for Kremer in the fourth, though. 

Brandon Lowe led off the bottom of the frame with a scorching double down the line in right, putting the Rays in prime position to even the score. They did just that a few batters later as a Junior Caminero single brought him home. 

Through five innings, the Birds’ bats had only produced four hits, but they made them count. No Baltimore swing counted for more in the first five frames than Colton Cowser’s solo home run in the fifth. On an 0-2 count, he drove a slider to right-center field to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. It was one of just two extra-base hits on a night of small ball for the Birds. 

"Just being able to steal some bases, get some runners in scoring position, things like that, it’s something that ultimately is kind of the goal every game and being able to string together a bunch of quality at-bats today was really good for us," Cowser said. 

Westburg’s two-out single in the sixth ignited a mini rally. O’Hearn delivered a base knock too, and Laureano brought Westburg home with another RBI single. Déja vù all over again. 

Kremer, despite allowing just one earned run, wouldn’t return for the sixth. A solid night in the box score was underscored by some loud outs. For a pitcher that has run into some bad batted-ball luck this season, a regression to the mean was surely welcomed. 

"I think we had a pretty good mix going and that was the plan going in, mix speeds and try to get off barrel," Kremer said. 

The night, while unspectacular in the box score, was significant for the right-hander's career marks. He notched his 500th strikeout in a winning effort. 

"It’s quite a milestone," Kremer said. "I’m close to 600 innings, now 500 punchouts, it’s not something to take lightly. Grateful for the opportunity and not something I take for granted."

The box score doesn't tell the whole story. Kremer was able to silence a lineup that had been mashing baseballs all over the park over the last few weeks. 

"It’s five innings of one-run ball for Deano against seven out of nine lefties in a park where right field’s close and the ball’s flying after those two home runs we saw yesterday," Mansolino said. "Deano mixed his stuff good, the split was good tonight, it was solid, threw a nice curveball, fastball had some life at the top of the zone when he used it, pitched out of the jam there in the (fourth) inning."

The O’s offense didn’t have the loudest night, but they did have a productive one. It was highlighted by a few two-out rallies, of which they had another in the seventh. 

"I think we are taking better at-bats, no doubt about it," Laureano said. "We’re pitching better, and I think we were stealing little bit more bases. And I think it's good."

Singles from Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson with two down plated Dylan Carlson and extended Baltimore’s lead to 4-1. Henderson’s single marked the 10th hit of the contest for the O’s, and it was another knock with runners in scoring position. Don't bring it up around the interim skipper, though. 

"Don’t tell anybody," Mansolino joked. "I feel like the more we talk about it, it goes the other way.

"I feel like lately here for a couple weeks it’s been really good. Laureano with a couple knocks with runners in scoring position. Gunnar, left-handed pitching’s another story for us, the guy’s throwing 100 mph and here comes Gunn in a big spot and gets a big knock and extends the lead. I feel like quietly it’s been a lot better here for a couple weeks. I feel like it’s been pretty good."

Still, it was a tight game down the stretch. The O’s would once again need their bullpen to dazzle. 

Over the last 22 games, Orioles relievers have posted a 1.84 ERA, second best in the big leagues over that stretch. Keegan Akin was the first bullpen arm to enter the game in the sixth, and exited with runners on first and second in the seventh after 1 ⅔ innings. Gregory Soto promptly struck out Josh Lowe on four pitches, and onto the eighth we went. 

"It’s been unbelievable," Cowser said of the 'pen. "I feel like when we’ve been getting it to them, it’s one of those things where I’m like. ‘Alright, here we go.’" 

Bryan Baker threw eight pitches in the bottom of the eighth. He allowed one hit, recorded three outs and did not throw a ball. Onto the ninth. 

That's where Jackson Holliday added a crucial insurance run. Two more singles in the inning, off the bats of Carlson and Holliday, gave the O's another crooked number in the box score and pushed their lead to 5-1. Despite some traffic on the basepaths, they couldn't tack on more. But it was plenty of breathing room for Félix Bautista. 

The Mountain, pitching for the first time since Saturday, cruised through the ninth inning of work to secure the victory. 

"It feels pretty good right now," Mansolino said. "They’ve been really good here for three or four weeks. I think when the bullpen got built, this was kind of what we thought it might be, and it’s kind of happening right now right in front of our eyes."

Baltimore's offense just chipped away. Of their 13 hits on the night, 11 of them were singles. Kremer was solid, the bullpen was excellent and they had some great defense behind them. The Rays' offense had been scorching and they scored just one run. That's the formula for winning baseball against a good team. 

The O's have evened the series with two more left to play down in Florida.

* After the game, we learned of the passing of Orioles minor league infielder Luis Guevara. 

“Luis was a beloved member of our organization, and we are devastated following his tragic passing," executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates and we ask for their continued privacy during this difficult time."

Guervara was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2023. This season was his first in the United States, and he appeared in four games with the FCL Orioles, 24 games with Single-A Delmarva and two with Double-A Chesapeake. 

He was just 19 years old.