ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Glasnow had some adversity after cruising through his first three starts.
In the end, he and the major league-leading Tampa Bay Rays just kept on rolling.
Glasnow allowed two runs over seven innings in winning his fourth consecutive start to begin the season, Avisail Garcia drove in three runs, and the Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Tuesday night for their seventh victory in eight games.
“I just went out and attacked,” Glasnow said.
The Rays, at 13-4, are off to their best start ever. Tampa Bay finished 90-72 last season after a 4-13 beginning.
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Glasnow (4-0) allowed hits to six of the first 13 batters he faced, but the 6-foot-8 right-hander allowed just one hit over his final 4 2/3 innings and ended the outing by retiring 10 in a row.
“I think you could argue that might have been one of his better starts so far just because it didn’t come as easy for him, or it didn’t appear to come easy,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “He had to make some pitches, probably had to make some adjustments on the fly.”
Glasnow had allowed just one run overall in his first three games.
“We worked some good ABs off him early and we just didn’t score enough,” Orioles first-year manager Brandon Hyde said. “Then he fell into a rhythm.”
Garcia hit a two-run homer during a three-run fourth, and added an RBI single in the eighth.
Jose Alvarado and Diego Castillo, who earned his second save, each went a perfect inning.
The Orioles got an RBI from both Rio Ruiz and Renato Nunez. Dylan Bundy (0-2) gave up three runs and three hits over five innings.
“They’re a quick-striking offense,” Bundy said.
Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis was in the original lineup but was scratched due to illness.
“In BP he started feeling sick and nauseous,” Hyde said.
After Tommy Pham walked leading off the fourth, Ji-Man Choi doubled for the Rays’ first hit.
Yandy Diaz hit a sacrifice fly before Garcia homered to center off Bundy as Tampa Bay went up 3-2.
Bundy, after giving up a major league-high 41 homers last season, has allowed seven in four starts this year.
Ruiz ended Glasnow’s 16-inning scoreless streak and put the Orioles up 1-0 with an RBI single in the first.
Baltimore took a 2-0 lead on Nunez’s run-scoring double in the third. He has driven in six runs during a seven-game hitting streak.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Alex Cobb (lumbar strain) had a simulated game and is scheduled to start Friday night against Minnesota. ... DH/OF Mark Trumbo (right knee surgery) has not resumed hitting. ... RHP Nate Karns (right forearm strain) will have his second bullpen session Wednesday.
Rays: INF Joey Wendle (hamstring) could return this weekend.
WELCOME BACK
Hyde made his managerial debut with a one-day stint as the acting manager for the Miami Marlins in a 2-1 road loss to the Rays on June 19, 2011, after the unexpected resignation of manager Edwin Rodriguez. “That was just a strange day because our manager quit two hours before the game,” Hyde said. “We had a little coaching staff meeting and here we go.”
CAUGHT TWICE STEALING IN SAME INNING?
Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier was actually thrown out twice trying to steal a base in the seventh inning. After an infield single, according to scoring rules, he was thrown out on an attempt at second but was called safe because shortstop Jonathan Villar was charged with an error for dropping the ball. Kiermaier was later thrown out trying to steal third.
UP NEXT
Orioles RHP David Hess (1-2) will start Wednesday night against an unannounced Rays reliever. Hess is 2-1 against both Tampa Bay and Toronto, and winless in 10 decisions against everyone else.
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