masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOn a night when the two teams struggled often to get a clutch hit, the Orioles got two big ones in the last of the ninth to beat Tampa Bay 3-2 in front of 26,076 at Camden Yards.

Manny Machado led off the inning with a single to left off Kyle Farnsworth and moved to second on Robert Andino’s sac bunt. Then Nate McLouth ripped a single off the right-field wall down the line to give the Orioles a walk-off win and put them three games ahead of the Rays.

Jim Johnson pitched the top of the ninth…On a night when the two teams struggled often to get a clutch hit, the Orioles got two big ones in the last of the ninth to beat Tampa Bay 3-2 in front of 26,076 at Camden Yards.

Manny Machado led off the inning with a single to left off Kyle Farnsworth and moved to second on Robert Andino’s sac bunt. Then Nate McLouth ripped a single off the right-field wall down the line to give the Orioles a walk-off win and put them three games ahead of the Rays.

Jim Johnson pitched the top of the ninth and got the victory.

The Orioles had taken a 2-1 lead in the last of the first when they got four singles among the first five batters and Matt Wieters and Wilson Betemit drove in runs. Ben Francisco came up with an RBI double for the Rays to tie the game, 2-2 in the third.

Miguel Gonzalez got a quality start, but a no decison. He allowed six hits and two runs over six innings, throwing 104 pitches. O’s starters had worked to an ERA of 6.67 without a quality start over the previous six games.

The Orioles improved to 80-62 and have won seven of their last 10, 19 of 28 and are 34-18 since July 1

The Yankees beat the Red Sox tonight. 5-4. Baltimore and New York are still tied for first in the AL East.