SportsDirect Inc.
Recap: Orioles 1, Rays 0
Orioles 1, Rays 0: Red-hot Chris Davis homered for the sixth consecutive game to back 6 1/3 scoreless innings from Miguel Gonzalez as visiting Baltimore kept its division title hopes alive.
Gonzalez (9-4) won his third straight start, allowing two hits and striking out seven to outduel James Shields and keep the Orioles one game behind the American League East-leading New York Yankees with one to play.
Davis supplied the game’s only run with a towering fourth-inning blast to center off Shields – his seventh homer during the six-game streak – to give Baltimore a half-game lead in the race for the wild card.
Brian Matusz and Darren O’Day bridged the gap to closer Jim Johnson, who worked around a one-out walk in the ninth for his major league-leading 51st save as the Orioles improved to 74-0 this season when leading after seven innings.
Shields (15-10) absorbed the loss despite pitching a gem, striking out a career-high and franchise-record 15 batters and allowing only two hits in his third complete game of the season. He fanned seven of the last nine batters he faced.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Davis’ six-game home run streak tied the club record held by Reggie Jackson and Ken Williams and moved him past Adam Jones for the team lead with 33. … Shields has fanned 25 Orioles over 15 innings in his last two starts against Baltimore. … Gonzalez, who has a string of 13 1/3 scoreless innings at Tropicana Field, became the second Orioles rookie to beat all four AL East opponents since division play began in 1969.
