Smyly sets the tone in rout of struggling Orioles

AMERICAN LEAGUE

RAYS 11, ORIOLES 2

BALTIMORE — It’s all hands on deck for the Tampa Bay Rays as they make a playoff push this September, and a few players more than carried their weight Tuesday night.

There were plenty of stars in an 11- 2 victory over the free- falling Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, including two guys who recently came aboard for the stretch run.

J. P. Arencibia homered and drove in six runs to back an impressive pitching performance by Drew Smyly ( Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks), and the Rays enjoyed a rare rout in a season filled with down- to- the- wire finishes.

“It was obviously a little uncharacteristic for us,” Manager Kevin Cash said.

Brandon Guyer had four hits for the Rays, but the standouts were Arencibia — playing his sixth game of the season — and Smyly, making his fourth start since returning from a 3 ½ - month stay on the disabled list with a torn left labrum.

Smyly ( 2- 2) struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings. The left- hander allowed 4 hits, walked 1 and retired the final 10 batters he faced.

“It was fun to watch,” Cash said. “Smyly set the tone. He was outstanding.”

Batting ninth in the order, Arencibia hit 2 two- run singles before adding a two- run home run in the seventh. It was his sixth game with Tampa Bay since being recalled from Class AAA Durham on Wednesday.

“It’s always fun when you see a new guy come in here and have a game like that,” Cash said.

Tampa Bay scored four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to give Baltimore its 12th loss in 13 games.

The one constant during the Orioles’