Pena's slam, 7 RBIs spark Rays past struggling O's

Devil Rays 17, Orioles 2

ST PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles' woes continued, thanks to the surging Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Carlos Pena homered twice, including a grand slam, and drove in a team-record seven runs as the Devil Rays hammered the stumbling Orioles 17-2 on Wednesday night.

"This is awesome," Pena said. "It was a great game. It's one of the most fun I've had in a day at a baseball field."

The Orioles have lost 13 of 15. Including the 30-3 loss on August 22 to Texas, Baltimore has allowed eight or more runs in 10 of its last 15 games. Five times the opponent scored 10 or more runs.

"We're trying to do the best we can," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "But it's just not working. The big innings are way too frequent."

Pena hit his fifth career grand slam and second this year, and Delmon Young had a three-run shot during an eight-run fourth. Pena added his 37th homer of the season, a two-run shot off Brian Burres in a three-run sixth. The Devil Rays scored in six of eight innings.

The Devil Rays' 17 runs was their most since they scored 19 on May 20, 2006, at the New York Yankees. Tampa Bay also had 22 hits, its most since pounding out a franchise-record 24 on June 24, 2004, at Toronto.

Tampa Bay has scored 118 runs over the past 13 games, the eighth most for a 13-day stretch since World War II. Pena has 11 homers over his last 17 games.

"We're having fun right now," Pena said. "Even though we've been through a season where we've had some tough stretches, this is great and well-deserving."

Young and Brendan Harris hit consecutive homers off reliever Rob Bell in the fourth. Pena, who became the fourth Tampa Bay player to have 100 or more RBIs in a season, made it 13-0 on his grand slam off Fernando Cabrera.

Pena has 105 RBIs for the season. Young drove in four runs to set a Devil Rays rookie record with 79.

Andy Sonnanstine (5-9) won his third consecutive start, giving up two runs and nine hits in six innings.

Jonny Gomes had a solo homer in the seventh for the Devil Rays, who are 10-3 since August 24. Tampa Bay has won three straight series for the first time since August 12-21, 2005.

Carl Crawford was in the lineup two hours after it was announced that he had been suspended for two games and fined by the commissioner's office after he was ejected earlier this week. The Devil Rays All-Star left fielder planned to appeal the penalty, making him eligible to play until a hearing is held.

Young had a run-scoring single during a two-run first, and Pena had a sacrifice fly off Radhames Liz (0-2) in a two-run second that put Tampa Bay ahead 4-0.

Liz allowed four runs and six hits over 1 2-3 innings in his third major league start. The rookie got a bruised left calf when he was hit by Akinori Iwamura's liner in the first. X-rays were negative.

Bell pitched at Tropicana Field for the first time since May 10, 2005 while with the Devil Rays. Ongoing control problem prompted Tampa Bay to put him on the disabled list four days later. The right-hander gave up six runs and seven hits over 1 1-3 innings.

Tike Redman had a two-run pinch-hit double in the fifth for Baltimore. Catcher Paul Bako was ejected in the fifth -- when the score was 13-0 -- after he dropped his bat and helmet near the plate after taking a called third strike.

"It was frustration obviously, from a team aspect," Bako said. "Frustration, when everyone in the game is still trying to fight. When you feel you're not getting a fair shake, the emotions just come out and it gets the best of you."

Game notes
The old Tampa Bay single-game RBI record was six, set by Paul Sorrento on May 3, 1998, at Cleveland. The record stood for 1,566 games. .. Pena has 11 career multihomer games. The seven RBIs ties his career-high. ... Bell had his contract purchased from Triple-A Norfolk before the game. He appeared in 21 games earlier this season with the Orioles. ... Harris' previous homer came on June 18, a span of 263 at-bats.