BALTIMORE – Alex Gonzalez scored the tiebreaking run on an eighth-inning throwing error by Baltimore catcher Sal Fasano, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Orioles 6-5.

Gonzalez singled off Todd Williams (5-5) leading off the eighth, his third hit of the game, pinch-hitter Nick Green sacrificed and Joey Gathright’s infield single moved Gonzalez to third.

With Julio Lugo batting, Gathright broke for second and Fasano’s throw hopped past shortstop Miguel Tejada into short right field as Gonzalez scored for a 5-4 lead and Gathright took third.

Williams’ next pitch was high and outside, beyond Fasano’s grasp, and Gathright scored on the wild pitch.

Travis Harper (4-6) pitched a scoreless seventh, and Danys Baez worked the ninth for his 37th save, allowing an RBI single to Brian Roberts before retiring Fasano on a lineout with the potential tying run on third.

Tampa Bay took two of three at Baltimore and has won three straight road series for only the second time in the franchise’s eight-year history.

Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera allowed four runs – three earned – six hits and five walks in six innings. Doug Waechter, who failed to record an out in a 17-3 loss Tuesday to at New York Yankees, gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings.

Bernie Castro’s RBI single gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the third, but Cabera walked Aubrey Huff with the bases loaded in the fourth and Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run single, with another run scoring when Castro overran the ball for an error.

Waechter allowed Baltimore to tie the score in the sixth on B.J. Surhoff’s two-run double an infield grounder by 322-pound Walter Young, who beat Lugo’s relay to avoid an inning-ending double play.

Notes: Tejada hit his league-leading 48th double in the second. … Crawford went 3-for-5 and has a career-high 186 hits, one more than last year. … Tampa Bay has held the lead in 27 of its last 31 games, but is only 16-15 over that span.

AP-ES-09-18-05 1640EDT


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