Lowe, Choi, Diaz homer to help Rays beat Orioles 8-1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Lowe, Ji-Man Choi and Yandy Diaz homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-1 Wednesday night.

Choi reached based four straight times on two hits and two walks, and Mike Zunino had three of the rays’ 13 hits as they won for the eighth time in nine games.

Yonny Chrinos (3-0) replaced opener Ryne Stanek in the second inning and gave up one hit in five scoreless innings get the win. He struck out six of the first seven batters he faced.

It was the eighth straight home game in which the Rays gave up two runs or fewer. They have given up nine runs in their last eight games at home.

Rio Ruiz hit his second home run for the Orioles, who have lost seven of nine.

After singles by Austin Meadows and Choi in the first inning, Lowe hit a long three-run homer off Baltimore starter David Hess (1-3). It was Lowe’s fourth homer in seven games and his fifth of the season.

Between back-to-back homers by Choi and Diaz in the third, Orioles field coordinator Tim Cossins was ejected by home plate umpire CB Bucknor. Choi’s home run was his first of the season, and Diaz hit his fourth.

Hess gave up six runs and eight hits in two innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: Renato Nunez got his first start in the field when 1B Chris Davis missed a second straight game with a stomach virus, leaving the Orioles with a two-man bench. … C Austin Wynns (oblique) was reinstated from the injured list and optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Rays: LHP Blake Snell (broken right fourth toe) took some throws from 90 feet. … INF Joey Wendle (strained left hamstring) played five innings at 2B in an extended spring training game and went 2 for 5.

UP NEXT

RHP Andrew Cashner (3-1, 3.51) will try to win his fourth straight start for the Orioles in Thursday night’s series finale against a Rays pitcher to be determined.