Newcomers deliver as Rays come back against red-hot Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG — It remains to be seen whether the Rays will make a big move before the trade deadline in August.

While trading two prospects to Oakland for Christian Bethancourt and claiming Yu Chang off waivers from the Pirates were far from headline acquisitions last week, both delivered in crucial moments in a 5-4 win over the Orioles on Friday at Tropicana Field, their third straight one-run victory.

The Rays turned a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead with four two-out, extra-base hits in the sixth inning to end the Orioles’ win streak at 10, Baltimore’s longest since 1999. The Rays (50-40) have won five straight, their second-longest streak this season.

“The guys don’t quit, they never give up,” said Bethancourt, whose bizarre pinch-hit home run capped the comeback. “...You can be silent for five innings and then there’s one inning where they’re going to put four or five, six at-bats together and get something going.”

Josh Lowe started the rally with a double to rightfield and was knocked home by Chang’s second double of the night to finish off Baltimore starter Tyler Wells, who was credited with the loss. Cionel Perez didn’t fare much better, giving up a double from Francisco Mejia before Bethancourt sneaked a fly ball over Anthony Santander’s glove and just inside the leftfield foul pole.

It was ruled a foul ball on the field, and Bethancourt admitted he didn’t think it had enough to be a home run off the bat, either. Before the call was overturned by a crew chief review, he prepared himself to face another “97-mph fastball” from Perez.

“And then I saw everybody in the dugout, celebrating,” Bethancourt said. “So I was like, ‘OK then I got a homer, that’s nice.’ ”

Bethancourt agreed the homer was the weirdest of his career. At 318 feet, it was the shortest over-the-fence home run at Tropicana Field since 2015 and at any venue in the majors since June 2021.

Ramon Urias had the first multi-home run game of the career, but his two-run shot off Colin Poche in the eighth were the only runs the Rays bullpen allowed after Luis Patino went 3 2/3 innings in his first start since early April.

The 22-year-old threw 38 of his 56 pitches for strikes after having his return from a left oblique strain delayed by a blister on his right middle finger. He allowed two solo homers by Urias and Trey Mancini, but Rays manager Kevin Cash said he was “pleasantly impressed” that Patino almost got through the fourth inning.

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The Rays halved the deficit in the bottom of the fourth, Chang doubling down the leftfield line to score Isaac Paredes from first. He is now 6-for-16 in his six games as a Ray.

“We’ve seen some aggressiveness out of him, some intent, and he’s really driving the ball,” said Cash.

Chang had been hitting .184 in Pittsburgh, a team 15 games below .500. Now, he’s delivering for a team currently holding the American League’s top wild-card spot.

“The ultimate goal for everybody is a championship,” he said via his interpreter, Patrick Chu, “and I feel so happy to be here because I’ve never played in a playoff game. So I cannot wait to play in a playoff game and contribute for the team.”

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