Arozarena's two home runs help Rays rally past Orioles, 9-7

BALTIMORE -- — Randy Arozarena hit two home runs, stole another with his glove and knocked in four runs, Ji-Man Choi drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-7 Wednesday night.

Mike Brosseau also homered for Tampa Bay, which has won a season-high six consecutive games. At 25-19, the Rays are six games above .500 for the first time this year.

Trey Mancini hit two home runs as part of a four-hit night and tied a career high with five RBI for Baltimore, which has dropped nine of 11 and fell to a majors-worst 6-17 at home.

Ryan Thompson (3-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for Tampa Bay. Pete Fairbanks gave up a run in the ninth, but stranded two men to earn his first save since 2019.

The Rays took the lead for the first time in eighth. After a pair of walks, Choi’s two-out single made it 7-6. Paul Fry (0-1) allowed another run to score on a wild pitch, then surrendered Arozarena’s RBI double.

That capped an already eventful night for Arozarena, who hit a solo shot in the fifth off Baltimore starter John Means and added a two-run blast off Adam Plutko in the seventh to tie it at 6.

Arozarena also made a leaping grab at the left field wall to rob Pat Valaika of a home run in the sixth.

“I looked up in the stands to make everyone believe I made the catch,” Arozarena said. “That’s just a part of my game. I like to have fun. I like to be relaxed out there. It was a good catch. I enjoyed it.”

Mancini tormented off Tampa Bay’s Ryan Yarbrough throughout the starter’s outing. Mancini hit solo shots in the first and fifth, and smacked a three-run double in the second to make it 5-0. It was the eighth career multi-homer game for Mancini and his first since missing all of last season for colon cancer treatment.

Mancini now leads the majors in RBI with 38.

“If you told me that a year ago, I’d be pretty pleased to hear that,” Mancini said. “I do reflect a lot on last year. As much as I’ve tried to move on, it’s hard not to look back and say a year ago I was going in for this cycle of treatment — I think I’d be around three or four right now. I’m definitely much happier to be here in 2021 playing baseball.”

Freddy Galvis added a homer — the 100th of his career — in the second against Yarbrough, who allowed six runs (three earned) in six innings.

Means saw his 19-inning scoreless streak end when he allowed Brosseau and Arozarena to hit consecutive shots in the fifth. The left-hander yielded four runs in 6 1/3 innings.

“This was a big win,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We were going against a guy that’s pitched as good as anybody in baseball. We didn’t get him, but we got enough to get close and put us within striking distance.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: Tampa Bay placed RHP Luis Patiño (lacerated middle finger) and LHP Cody Reed (thumb weakness) on the 10-day injured list. The Rays also activated OF Kevin Kiermaier from the IL, recalled RHPs Louis Head and Trevor Richards from Triple-A Durham and optioned INF Kevin Padlo to Durham.

Orioles: 1B Chris Davis underwent surgery to repair the labrum in his left hip and will miss the rest of the year, general manager Mike Elias said. Davis has not played since Baltimore’s spring training opener in February. The 35-year-old is in the penultimate season of a seven-year, $161 million deal. … INF Richie Martin suffered a fractured left wrist at Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday and will miss 8-12 weeks. Martin will not require surgery but will wear a splint for six weeks. … Elias said RHP Hunter Harvey (left oblique strain) has thrown a couple simulated games in extended spring training.

ON THE MOVE

Tampa Bay traded C Kevan Smith to Atlanta for cash considerations. The Rays designated Smith for assignment Sunday.

UP NEXT

Rays: LHP Rich Hill (2-1, 4.26 ERA), who has thrown 15 2/3 scoreless innings over his last three starts, gets the nod for the series finale.

Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer (0-3, 5.81) is winless in his last 10 starts dating back to last season, but has posted a 3.38 ERA in three starts this month.

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