BALTIMORE—After winning four of their last five, the Orioles had high hopes with Zach Eflin starting. Eflin had won his first five starts with the Orioles after they acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 26th.
Eflin, who returned from the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Sunday and limited Colorado to a run on four hits in seven innings, gave up three runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Rays. He walked one and struck out four in the Orioles 7-1 loss before 34.256 on Saturday.
The game began 27 minutes late because of a rain delay, and Yandy Diaz led off with a home run against Eflin (10-8). Taylor Walls homered to begin the third, and he added an RBI single in the sixth.
The Orioles (82-61) fell ½ game behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. New York beat the Chicago Cubs, 2-0.
In the first four innings, the Orioles stranded seven runners. They loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Emmanuel Rivera struck out looking and James McCann flied to right.
They had first and third with one out in the third when Anthony Santander flied to short center and Colton Cowser was called out on strikes.
Trailing 2-0 with two outs and runners on first and second in the fourth, Gunnar Henderson hit a long drive to center that he thought was gone. Tampa Bay centerfielder Jose Siri leaped and caught the ball as it was heading over the wall, taking a home run away from Henderson, who slammed his helmet down at first base.
Tampa Bay catcher Logan Driscoll ran into the Rays’ dugout to make a fine catch on Adley Rutschman’s foul pop to begin the bottom of the fifth. Driscoll tumbled into the dugout but held onto the ball.
Cedric Mullins homered against Ryan Pepiot (8-6) in the sixth, the only run allowed by Pepiot in 5 1/3 innings. The Orioles didn’t have a hit after Mullins’ home run.
The Rays (70-72) added two more runs after Gregory Soto walked Diaz and Jonathan Aranda doubled. Matt Bowman retired Junior Caminero on a grounder to the mound. Josh Lowe was walked intentionally, and Jonny DeLuca fouled out to third.
Driscoll grounded to Ryan O’Hearn at first, who threw the ball wildly to Bowman covering first as Diaz and Aranda scored to make it 5-1. Driscoll left with a bruised left quadriceps.
Diaz drove in the sixth run with a single in the eighth. Jonny DeLuca tripled with two outs in the ninth against Craig Kimbrel and scored on a wild pitch.