Pepiot strikes out season-high 11 to lead Rays to a 7-1 win over the Orioles

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Ryan Pepiot had a season-high 11 strikeouts, Jake Mangum went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on Monday night.

Pepiot (4-6), in his team-leading 15th start, finished one strikeout short of matching his career best. He allowed four hits and one earned run in a 98-pitch effort.

Forrest Whitley made his debut with the Rays in the ninth inning and retired three straight to extend the bullpen’s scoreless streak to 16 2/3 innings.

Tampa Bay has won four straight and gone 19-6 in its last 25 games. The Rays also picked up their eighth straight series-opening victory.

Baltimore, which scored 11 runs on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels, lost for just the fifth time in 16 games.

The Rays scored a run in each of the first five innings, including Josh Lowe’s first career leadoff home run. Brandon Lowe’s two-run shot in the fourth – his 14th homer of the season – gave Tampa Bay a 5-1 lead.

Mangum had two infield singles and a double to extend his hit streak to five games. He’s batting .304 with 14 RBIs in his last 15 games.

Baltimore starter Zach Eflin (6-3) gave up 12 hits and seven earned runs in five innings.

Adley Rutschman hit his eighth home run of the season in the fourth for the Orioles.

Mangum’s third hit went into the left-field corner for a standup-double and a 7-1 lead. It was the 11th time in the last 25 games that the Rays scored six or more runs.

Pepiot has a 1.91 ERA in his last five home starts, with 29 strikeouts in 33 innings.

Tampa Bay plays the second game of the homestand on Tuesday with RHP Zack Littell (6-6, 3.84 ERA) against Baltimore RHP Dean Kremer (5-7, 4.99).