Devil Rays deny Orioles a fifth straight win

Devil Rays 6, Orioles 4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay rebounded quickly after a difficult loss.

Rocco Baldelli had a two-run single during a six-run fourth inning, and the Devil Rays beat Baltimore 6-4 Tuesday night to stop the Orioles' four-game winning streak.

Tampa Bay had blown a six-run lead in Monday night's 9-7 loss to the Orioles. It was first time the Devil Rays had lost at home after taking a six-run lead -- a span of 731 games.

"Last night was a tough one," Baldelli said. "We needed to get that out of our system. To come back and beat this team today was big. To get this win was very important."

Steve Trachsel (0-1) remained winless in three starts with the Orioles, allowing six runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings as his ERA rose from 2.63 to 5.19.

"I felt good about the first three innings," Trachsel said. "The last one was horrible."

Tampa Bay starter Casey Fossum (1-1), who missed the final month of last season after shoulder surgery, gave up three runs and five hits in seven-plus innings.

"We bounced back well," Fossum said. "We got on them early and it makes it a lot easier for me when you jump on them quickly."

After Fossum allowed Baltimore's first two batters to reach in the eighth, Brian Stokes relieved and gave up a three-run homer to pinch-hitter Jon Knott, his first career homer in 18 major league at-bats. It was his first at-bat with the Orioles.

Knott, from nearby Venice, Fla., had several family members at the game. His contract was purchased Monday from Triple-A Norfolk and he soon could be returning to the minors. Knott hit .176 in 12 games with San Diego from 2004-06.

"You try to relax and just do whatever you can," he said. "Not too much. I think the first time I was called up I did that with the Padres."

Al Reyes pitched the ninth for his fifth save in five chances.

"This has happened several times already this year, we've lost a tough game and came back the next night and played a pretty good game," Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "A big part of that was Casey. Casey really took charge of that game. Pitched as well as I've seen him over the last two years."

Baltimore, 7-4 since being sweep in an opening three-games series at Minnesota, went ahead when Nick Markakis hit an RBI grounder in the first.

Baldelli walked leading off the fourth and scored on Brendan Harris' double. Ty Wigginton and Delmon Young had RBI singles, Carlos Pena hit a sacrifice fly and Baldelli's single made it 6-1.

Game notes
Baltimore OF Jay Payton (strained left hamstring) is scheduled to start a two-game rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk and could rejoin the Orioles on Friday. ... Orioles OF Corey Patterson, on bereavement leave following the death of his grandfather, might return Wednesday. ... Orioles C Ramon Hernandez (strained left oblique) took BP and could play by Friday. ... Young has a hit in 13 of 14 games this season. ... Reyes entered the season with six career saves. ... Tampa Bay CF-DH Elijah Dukes, mired in a 2-for-24 slide, didn't play. He has struck out nine times over the stretch.