masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe longball returned to the Orioles offense tonight. Tied for 12th in the American League in homers at game time, the O’s blasted three tonight as they beat Tampa Bay 4-3 at Tropicana Field.
It got interesting in the last of the ninth. Tampa Bay’s Ryan Hanigan singled with one out to bring Tampa within 4-3 and put runners at first and third. But Tommy Hunter got out of the jam, getting a soft line drive to second and then a liner back to the mound that he gloved to end the game. It’s…

The longball returned to the Orioles offense tonight. Tied for 12th in the American League in homers at game time, the O’s blasted three tonight as they beat Tampa Bay 4-3 at Tropicana Field.

It got interesting in the last of the ninth. Tampa Bay’s Ryan Hanigan singled with one out to bring Tampa within 4-3 and put runners at first and third. But Tommy Hunter got out of the jam, getting a soft line drive to second and then a liner back to the mound that he gloved to end the game. It’s Hunter’s 10th save in 11 chances.

With this victory, the Orioles have won a third American League East road series. The 2013 O’s didn’t do that until Sept. 13-15 at Toronto.

After going 15-23 (.395) in AL East road games last season, the Orioles are 8-4 (.667) so far in 2014, winning three series and tying one.

With the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the seventh, Steve Pearce singled with two outs. Jonathan Schoop followed with a two-run blast to left. It came on an 0-2 pitch from Brandon Gomes. Schoop had gone eight games without a homer or RBI.

Schoop had just two hits over his previous 17 at-bats and seven hits his last 47 at-bats as he came to the plate in the seventh.

Adam Jones, who began the night with one homer, hit a pair of solo shots earlier in the game. Jones connected twice on the first pitch, both times crushing the ball to center field in the second and fourth for his second and third homers.

It was Jones’ fourth career two-homer game and first since July 26, 2013 against Boston. This is just the O’s fifth multi-homer game of the season.

Bud Norris got a no-decision when an inherited runner scored in the sixth to tie the game 2-2. Norris went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and the two runs, with four walks and five strikeouts. Norris threw 101 pitches.

Ryan Webb got four outs to pick up his first Orioles’ win. Zach Britton pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and AL hitters are now batting just .155 against him.

After finishing 6-13 against Tampa Bay last season, with losses in 11 of the last 13 games, the O’s are 4-0 against the Rays. They’ve held Tampa Bay to seven runs in the four games.

In the series finale tomorrow night, the Orioles go for the sweep as Ubaldo Jimenez (1-4, 5.19 ERA) faces David Price (3-2, 4.44 ERA). The Birds’ last three-game sweep at Tropicana Field was April 1-3, 2011.