Rays Spring Training Game @ Orioles (Tie 3-3) Record: 5-4-2

The Rays traveled to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota for the 2nd meeting with the Baltimore Orioles so far this spring. Orioles starting pitcher, Wojciechowski, hurled 3 no-hit innings, but Charlie Morton nearly matched his performance with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Morton gave up only 2 hits and kept his pitch count low throwing only 26 pitches in his outing. Jalen Beeks followed Morton in the 3rd and needed only one pitch to produce an inning ending double play. He would give up a 2-run homerun the next inning which would be the first runs he’d give up this spring. Despite the homer, he didn’t have a bad day on the bump as he struck out 2 Orioles and walked one in 1 2/3 innings. Oliver Drake had a great outing today as he struck out 2 batters and walked one. His lone baserunner was erased when Michael Perez caught the Oriole attempting to steal 2nd base.

Tampa hitters had trouble putting the ball in play this afternoon as they went down on strikes 10 times the whole game. The young Rays’ catcher, Michael Perez, started the offense with a 2-out solo homerun giving them a 1-0 lead in the 4th inning. The top of the 6th saw the Rays tack on 2 more runs as Hunter Renfroe flared a single to right field and then the 28 year old, Ji-Man Choi, smoked a homerun to left field. It was a perfectly executed “bloop and a blast” to give the Rays the lead back. They would collect only 2 more hits the rest of the game credited to Adames and O’Grady. Today’s contest would end in a 3-3 tie which technically snaps the Orioles’ 5-game winning streak.