ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brett Phillips, Randy Arozarena and Francisco Mejía homered as the Tampa Bay Rays, despite losing hot-hitting Harold Ramírez to a broken thumb, beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 on Sunday.
Ramírez, who was batting .329 in 77 games as a first baseman/outfielder, was hit in the right thumb by a pitch from Jordan Lyles in the first. Ramírez stayed in the game, scored a run and exited the next inning. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
“You feel for Harold,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “He cares a lot. He’s just really frustrated. … Might have been putting together his best season. Hopefully he’s a quick healer.”
The Rays are 51-41 and hold the top spot in the AL wild-card race despite 15 players on the injured list. They enter the All-Star break at least 10 games over .500 for the sixth time — they made the playoffs the first five times.
Rougned Odor and Austin Hays homered for Baltimore, which is 46-46 at the break after going 52-110 last season.
“I think we’re in a good spot,” Lyles said. “We’re a couple games out of one of the last wild-card spots. No one would have signed us up for us. I think in spring training we would have signed up for it ourselves, but I think we’re better than that. I think a lot of guys in the clubhouse after the last few weeks know we’re better than that.
“I don’t think we’re here to go away,” Lyles added. “We’re here to stay.”
Corey Kluber (6-5) gave up four runs and eight hits over six innings to win his third consecutive start. It’s the first time he has won three starts in a row since May 30-June 10, 2018.
Jason Adam worked the ninth to get this fourth save in five chances.
Phillips, who started the day hitting .060 (5 for 84) since May 24, put the…
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