Banda fans 7, Rays use a bullpen day to beat Orioles 5-1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Ryne Stanek, Anthony Banda and Chaz Roe combined to give up three hits on a bullpen day as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Saturday.

With the Rays thin in the rotation, Banda (1-0) entered with two outs in the second. He wound up allowing one run and three hits while striking out seven over 6 1/3 innings.

The left-hander held Baltimore hitless until Danny Valencia tripled to start the fifth. Valencia was left stranded when Banda struck out Chris Davis and Joey Rickard, and got a grounder from Andrew Susac

Stanek got the start and retired all five batters he faced, including strikeouts of Adam Jones, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop.

Roe worked a perfect ninth for the Rays.

Sergio Romo will make his second start in three days and fourth in eight days in Sunday’s series finale when the Rays completes a stretch of three consecutive days of having relievers starting games. The longtime reliever took the loss in Friday night’s 2-0 loss to the Orioles, allowing one run while getting two outs.

Tampa Bay jumped ahead early, taking a 5-0 lead after two innings.

Joey Wendle had an RBI triple and scored on Wilson Ramos’ double in the first. After Rob Refsnyder hit a run-scoring single, C.J. Cron made it 5-0 in the second with a two-run double off Andrew Cashner.

Cashner (2-6), who allowed five runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings, left with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth and was replaced by Tanner Scott, who struck out three batters in a row.

The Orioles got their run in the seventh when Machado doubled and scored on Davis’ opposite-field single to left.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: OF Mark Trumbo (sore knee) is feeling better and could avoid going on the disabled list.

Rays: OF Carlos Gomez (right groin strain) was reinstated from the 10-day DL.

GETTING BETTER

Injured Orioles closer Zach Britton (right Achilles’ tendon surgery) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk. Reliever Darren O’Day (hyperextended right elbow) will resume throwing Tuesday.

CLOSER BY COMMITTEE

Rays manager Kevin Cash is not ready to appoint a replacement for closer Alex Colome, who was traded with OF Denard Span to Seattle on Friday. “I think it’s going to be pretty fluid,” Cash said. Options include Roe, Romo, and Jose Alvarado.

UP NEXT

Baltimore RHP Kevin Gausman (3-3) goes against Romo (1-1) on Sunday.

Tampa Bay Rays’ C.J. Cron (44) scores ahead of the throw to Baltimore Orioles catcher Andrew Susac on an RBI triple by Joey Wendle during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 26, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Danny Valencia cannot hang onto an infield single by Tampa Bay Rays’ Daniel Robertson during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 26, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)