masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles’ rotation has been getting the bulk of the love lately, but the offense provided a reminder tonight that it still drives the bus.
Manny Machado hit his fourth career grand slam in a six-run fourth inning and the Orioles pummeled the Rays 11-2 before 12,207 at Tropicana Field for their second consecutive division series win.
The Orioles (76-62) go for the sweep on Wednesday afternoon.
Machado added an RBI bloop single with two outs in the ninth after Pedro…

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles’ rotation has been getting the bulk of the love lately, but the offense provided a reminder tonight that it still drives the bus.

Manny Machado hit his fourth career grand slam in a six-run fourth inning and the Orioles pummeled the Rays 11-2 before 12,207 at Tropicana Field for their second consecutive division series win.

The Orioles (76-62) go for the sweep on Wednesday afternoon.

Machado added an RBI bloop single with two outs in the ninth after Pedro Alvarez’s run-scoring single. Alvarez also doubled and walked twice.

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Rays starter Jake Odorizzi threw 38 pitches in the fourth, when the Orioles batted around to take a 7-1 lead.

J.J. Hardy had a broken-bat two-run double down the left field line after Odorizzi hit Jonathan Schoop on the right hand to load the bases. Alvarez walked with two outs to reload the bases and Machado unloaded with the count full for his 34th home run.

Danny Farquhar replaced Odorizzi to start the top of the fifth with the Orioles leading 7-2.

Adam Jones greeted Steve Geltz in the eighth inning by hitting his 26th home run and increasing the lead to 9-2. The Orioles have hit 218 home runs, second-most in franchise history behind the 1996 team that hit 257.

Chris Davis smacked his 35th in the second inning to tie the score 1-1. He singled in the fourth, making him 6-for-9 with two home runs in his last three games. However, he left the game in the bottom of the fifth, the Orioles never giving an explanation.

Manager Buck Showalter will provide it later tonight.

Steve Pearce moved from left field to first base and Michael Bourn took over in left.

Davis struck out leading off the top of the fifth and grimaced after one swing. He was leaning on the dugout railing during the bottom half of the inning.

Left-handers were batting .189 against Odorizzi this year, but Davis ignored the splits. Same with Matt Wieters, who singled and walked against him while hitting from the left side.

Logan Forsythe hit his career-high 18th home run leading off the bottom of the first inning to give the Rays a quick lead over Yovani Gallardo.

The Rays scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth on Machado’s throwing error. He fielded Steven Souza Jr.’s ground ball and tried for the out at home, but missed his target. Should have taken the out at first base.

It didn’t matter in the end because that was the only run of the inning.

Yovani Gallardo allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits in five innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches, 59 for strikes, and lowered his ERA to 5.44 in 102 2/3 innings.

Gallardo recorded only his second win in his last 13 starts.

The Orioles increased their lead to 8-2 in the seventh inning on shortstop Nick Franklin’s two-out throwing error on Schoop’s ground ball that allowed Pearce to score. And they weren’t done.

Brian Duensing tossed a scoreless sixth in his first game since coming off the disabled list, and Mychal Givens followed with a scoreless seventh. Left-hander Donnie Hart stranded a runner in the eighth and Tommy Hunter finished up in the ninth, a double play ending the game.