TAMPA, Fla. — 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.
