Cobb battled to his 12th victoryt./CARMON MANDATO
Saturday, 3 a.m.
They are battery mates, a pitcher and a catcher, and they are united by pain and recovery.
For Wilson Ramos and Alex Cobb, Friday night was a chance to see how far each of them has come.
Cobb won his 12th game of the year, a career high, in his efforts to make the world forget about his Tommy John surgery. He battled, giving up nine hits, but he won an 8-3 game over the Baltimore Orioles.
Ramos, meanwhile, continued his hot streak at the plate. He had his seventh three-hit game of the year — all of them since Aug. 15 – and had a second-inning grand slam to lead the Rays' offense.
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Ramos hit a grand slam in Rays' victory./CARMEN MANDATO
In all, Ramos is 33 for his last 91, a .363 average.
In all, it was a nice night for the Rays, who evened their series with Baltimore. The Rays had 13 hits.
Ramos has struggled to overcome a knee injury.
“It's taken a little bit for him to get his timing,” said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. “You see the impact he could have at the plate. We've got a force behind the plate with the bat.”
Cobb, in his 28th start of the season, had to work for his latest victory. Often, Cobb
Dickerson had two hits for the Rays./CARMEN MANDATO
bristles at the suggestion that he's a grinder, but he admitted the description fit this time.
“It was a battle,” Cobb said. “It's very impressive what that offense (the Orioles) can do. They find holes, they put you on the ropes. You do your best, but they cover both sides of plate so well. It's tough to get them to expand.”
Cobb is facing free agency, and perhaps a big contract elsewhere.
"We all have to understand where Alex is at from an innings point," Cash said. "I don't know what's enough, what's too much, but it's a lot given what his workload was last year, and understandably so. But he goes out there and puts that out of his head and finds a way. That's just the kind of competitor he's shown all season. And really all of his career."
Corey Dickerson and Daniel Robertson each had two hits for the Rays.
Tampa Bay closes out its series with the Orioles today at 7:05 p.m. When Jake Odorizzi pitches against former Ray Jeremy Hellickson.
Longoria hit his 19th homer for the Rays./CARMEN MANDATO
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