Orioles' quest: Catch Rays to escape last place

The Baltimore Orioles have a clear target for the final week of the season: moving out of the American League East cellar.

They will continue that quest in the middle game of a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.

Fourth-place Tampa Bay (76-81) sits two games ahead of last-place Baltimore (74-83) as both teams head into their final five games of the season.

The Orioles won the weather-delayed series opener on night, holding the Rays to two hits in a 6-0 decision. Baltimore has won five of its past eight games, allowing more than two runs in only one of those victories.

The Rays have lost six of their past nine games. Tampa Bay must win its five final games to finish at .500.

To begin the series, the Orioles had catcher Adley Rutschman back in the lineup in his first big-league game since Aug. 17. Even though he went hitless in four at-bats, there were positives in his return from a strained right oblique muscle.

"I thought it was a very nice game behind the plate, liked where he's at," Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino said. "Give him a few days, hopefully he gets the bat going."

Mansolino said catcher Gary Sanchez, who had been playing with Triple-A Norfolk on a rehabilitation assignment, won't be activated for the final few games. Sanchez hasn't played for the Orioles since July 5 because of a knee injury.

Outfielder Colton Cowser homered for Baltimore on Tuesday night.

"(Trying to) finish this last week strong and give myself some building blocks to carry into the offseason," Cowser said.

The Rays might get a player back in the lineup during the current series. First baseman Jonathan Aranda has been out since Aug. 1 with a wrist injury but will go through pregame workouts with the team on Wednesday.

"He's pretty encouraged," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "I'm pretty excited about (Aranda) and the effort that he has shown to get back here and finish just a pretty impressive season."

Tampa Bay will try to get on track with right-hander Shane Baz (10-12, 4.99 ERA) as the starter on Wednesday. Baz has gone 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA this month, including five shutout innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 4-0 win on Thursday. He has struck out 23 in 18 1/3 innings without giving up a home run in his five September starts.

Baz took a loss while giving up two runs, one earned, in six innings last September against Baltimore. The only other time he faced the Orioles, he tossed six shutout innings during a no-decision in June 2022.

The Orioles have right-hander Tyler Wells (2-0, 2.04 ERA) lined up as their starting pitcher for Wednesday. He will work in just his fourth big-league game of the season but has gone at least five innings in each of those outings.

The 31-year-old veteran will face his third consecutive non-contending team after holding the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox to a combined two runs in 12 2/3 innings.

Wells owns a career 0-3 record with a 5.97 ERA in 10 career appearances (six starts) against the Rays.