Shane Baz strikes out season-high 9, Basallo hits 3-run homer as Orioles top Rays 6-1

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Shane Baz struck out a season-high nine and Samuel Basallo hit a three-run homer as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Tuesday night.

Baz (2-5), who joined the Orioles in a trade from Tampa Bay in December, pitched seven innings of one-run ball. The 26-year-old right-hander allowed seven hits and walked two.

Jackson Holliday reached on a single in the fifth and advanced to second after Gunnar Henderson beat out a throw to first base. Holliday was originally ruled out at second, but that call was overturned when the Orioles challenged. Basallo followed with his eighth homer of the season, a 405-foot shot to right-center field.

Basallo scored in the second inning on a fielding error by Rays second baseman Richie Palacios. Holliday added an RBI single, and Taylor Ward knocked in another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

Chandler Simpson scored on Jonathan Aranda's RBI single in the first inning for Tampa Bay.

Rays starting pitcher Griffin Jax (1-3) was hit by a 107-mph line drive in his back off the bat of Leody Taveras in the second inning. He completed the inning but didn't return for the third. He finished two innings, allowing three hits with three strikeouts and is day to day with a bruised back. Reliever Garrett Cleavinger pitched the next two innings with three strikeouts. Trevor Martin pitched three innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs, two walks, and a strikeout.

Craig Kimbrel made his Rays debut in the eighth inning after being signed earlier in the day. He struck out two and allowed a hit.

RHP Chris Bassitt (4-3, 5.51 ERA) will start for the Orioles in the series finale Wednesday against LHP Steven Matz (4-1, 3.70).

___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb