AL East-Leading Rays Sweep Orioles
Tampa Bay 10, Baltimore 4
Orioles catcher Guillermo Quiroz, left, talks with starting pitcher Brian Burres on the mound. Burres gives up six runs and nine hits in five-plus innings.
(Steve Nesius - AP)
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Sunday, August 31, 2008; 6:20 PM
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays completed their best-ever month in the team's most memorable season by far.
James Shields allowed one run over seven innings and Jason Bartlett hit his first homer in more than a year to help the AL East-leading Rays complete a three-game sweep with a 10-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
Tampa Bay went 21-8 in August, setting a team record for wins in a month. The Rays, who will have their first winning season and possibly a playoff trip this year, are a club-best 33 games over .500 at 84-51.
"This series was really good to go into September," Shields said. "Our hitters are really on right now and our pitchers are pitching as good as ever. We're really putting it together right now."
Shields (12-8) gave up six hits to match his career high for wins set last season. He has won seven of his last nine starts at home.
Bartlett had four hits and drove in two runs, including a solo shot during a two-run seventh that made it 10-1. It was his first homer since Aug. 27, 2007.
Tampa Bay, which has the majors' best home mark at 52-19, lead second-place Boston by 51/2 games after the Red Sox lost 4-2 to the Chicago White Sox.
"We can't take anything for granted because the moment we do that everything blows up," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I think if you take care of the seconds, the minutes and hours will take care of themselves."
The Rays had 34 runs, 40 hits and walked 25 times in the series. They were also hit by six pitches and twice drew four walks in a row.
Baltimore manager Dave Trembley and pitching coach Rick Kranitz will meet with the Orioles pitching staff before Monday's game at Boston.
"In an understatement, not very pretty," Trembley said. "Not real pleased, you've got to sit there and watch 180 pitches everyday. I'd rather have the fastball thrown over the plate and have people hit it instead of giving runs away like that. It will be addressed."
Luke Scott had a two-run double during a three-run eighth for the Orioles (63-73), who have lost 10 of 12 to drop a season-worst 10 games under .500.
