Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles Box Score on Aug 08, 2021

Brett Phillips hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the top of the eighth to spark a six-run inning that gave the visiting Tampa Bay Rays a 9-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.

That was Phillips' second homer of the day as the Rays swept the weekend series and now have an 11-1 record versus the Orioles this year. Tampa Bay has won four straight overall.

This was the third straight game that the Baltimore bullpen imploded. The Orioles had leads in each contest but could not hold them, giving up 22 runs overall.

Baltimore has lost five consecutive games, and has allowed nine runs or more in each -- giving up 54 runs in the process.

Cedric Mullins joined the 20-20 club -- 20 homers and 21 steals -- and extended his hitting streak to 16 in a row. The center fielder is the seventh Oriole to accomplish the feat. Anthony Santander also added a homer

Austin Hays added a pair of runs with two RBI singles while Richie Martin also had an RBI single for Baltimore.

Starter Jorge Lopez made his second consecutive solid start. Lopez gave the Orioles six innings, allowing two runs and four hits and leaving with a 5-2 lead. Rays' starter Michael Wacha allowed five runs on 10 hits while struggling through five innings.

In fact, Mullins gave the Orioles an early edge, leading off the first inning with a homer to right on the first pitch. Martin and then Hays added RBI singles in the second for a 3-0 lead.

Brandon Lowe cut the lead to 3-1 with an RBI single in the third before Santander answered with a solo blast, his seventh, in the bottom half.

Austin Meadows smacked his 21st home run of the season to help the Rays slice the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth. Hays answered once more when he drove in a run in the bottom of the inning.

Phillips hit a solo homer off Cole Sulser in the seventh before the Rays broke it open with the big eighth. Paul Fry (4-5) started the inning but walked three and couldn't find his control, which helped Tampa Bay score twice and tie it. Dillon Tate then gave up the grand slam.

JT Chargois (2-0) earned the win in relief.

Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said Ryan Mountcastle was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list, retroactive to Saturday.

Kevin Kiermaier of Tampa Bay sat out of the starting lineup due to right knee soreness that flared up in Saturday's game.

--Field Level Media