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BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles appear to be getting the pitching they so desperately need to be contenders in the AL East. [url=http://www.ukfreeshoessale.com/]Nike Free Run Black Sale[/url] . Or maybe they just caught the Tampa Bay Rays at exactly the right time. Miguel Gonzalez and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Orioles capitalized on two infield singles by Adam Jones in a 3-0 victory Wednesday. Nick Markakis also had two hits for the Orioles, who outscored the Rays 10-1 in the rain-abbreviated, two-game series. Baltimore has won five of seven to reach .500 (7-7) for the first time since the second game of the season. "Its not about the hitters, its about the starting pitchers setting the tone, and we follow suit," Jones said. "In the last two games, the starters and then our bullpen comes in and shuts them down." Gonzalez (1-1) gave up three hits and three walks in five innings after entering with a 9.64 ERA. Zach Britton permitted two singles over three innings to keep his ERA at 0.00, and Tommy Hunter got three outs for his fourth save. The Rays came up empty against the third and fourth pitchers in the Baltimore rotation. After Wei-Yin Chen excelled on Monday, Gonzalez righted himself at the expense of the struggling Tampa Bay lineup. Wil Myers struck out three times, and the Rays got only one extra-base hit. Tampa Bay has scored only 14 runs in its last nine games and has been held under three runs in nine of 15 games this season, including three shutouts. "We faced 153 pitches today and didnt score a run. Thats difficult to do," manager Joe Maddon said. "Our at bats have been good; the results havent been." Myers, who is batting .200, said, "Were not getting it done with the bats. Especially me. I havent done too much at the plate." Tampa Bays biggest threat came in the seventh, when a walk and singles by Yunel Escobar and Jose Molina loaded the bases against Britton with one out. Ben Zobrist hit into a force play at the plate, and Myers struck out. "I had a chance to make something happen and couldnt get the big hit," Myers said. "Thats been the frustrating thing, not getting the hit to help the team." Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi (1-2) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. Because Tuesday nights game was postponed by rain, all players wore No. 42 to honour Jackie Robinson a day later than originally planned. The jerseys were worn over long-sleeved shirts, because the temperature at the start of the game was 39 degrees. Playing at designated hitter instead of centre field after returning from an illness, Jones reached on a bunt in a two-run fourth inning and drove in a run with a 50-foot chop down the third-base line in the fifth. "Sometimes youve just got to be able to use your legs," Jones said. "Youre not always going to be able to swing the bat to the best of your ability or the way you would like to. So in certain situations its smart to drop a bunt down and get your timing back." Both starting pitchers dominated until the fourth inning. In the top half, the Rays got runners on first and second with one out before David DeJesus hit a sinking liner to right. Markakis caught the ball and threw to second for a double play. In the bottom half, Baltimore used a walk and two singles to load the bases with no outs. After Matt Wieters delivered a fly ball to the warning track that advanced all three runners, J.J. Hardy hit a run-scoring grounder for a 2-0 lead. Baltimore loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth before Jones hit a dribbler down the line that stopped on the chalk. NOTES: Tampa Bay heads home for a four-game series against the New York Yankees beginning Thursday night. David Price (2-0) faces CC Sabathia in the opener. ... The Orioles have Thursday off before facing Boston from Friday through Monday. Mondays 11 a.m. start, which comes after a Sunday night meeting, is the annual Patriots Day game and marks the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. "What that day represents to Boston and our country, we all consider it an honour to be lucky enough to have the schedule fall that way," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I think were all looking forward to paying the respect due there." ... Orioles 1B Chris Davis has reached base in 13 straight games. He stole his second base of the season. ... Wieters has 54 RBIs against Tampa Bay. [url=http://www.ukfreeshoessale.com/nike-air-huarache.html]Nike Air Huarache UK Sale[/url] .com) - Dirk Nowitzki poured in season high-tying 30 points with five rebounds to lead the Dallas Mavericks in a 112-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. [url=http://www.ukfreeshoessale.com/nike-free-4-0/nike-free-4-0-flyknit.html]Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit UK Womens[/url] . Five players had a multi-point performance and goaltender Ben Scrivens made 34 saves as Edmonton avoided a seventh straight loss by defeating the visiting Nashville Predators 5-1. [url=http://www.ukfreeshoessale.com/nike-roshe-run.html]http://www.ukfreeshoessale.com/nike-roshe-run.html[/url] . You can hear this game on TSN1040 Vancouver. Pre-game show is at 4:30 p.m.; puck drop at 6:30 p.m. PT. You can also listen online at tsn1040.FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. CHAUNCEY BILLUPS (Pistons): Yes they got Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings in the off-season and Andre Drummond is a beast (teams are kicking themselves for passing on him - he rebounds and block shots every game - thats two more discernable and significant skills than most guys in his draft class), but dont for a second discount the impact of having a savvy veteran like Billups on your team. He can play both guard spots and plays within himself and can shoot the three-ball exceptionally well but most importantly he is a respected elder statesman who gets it and can still play. Hes a huge asset to coach Maurice Cheeks getting this young/talented team to buy in" and make the sacrifices necessary to be successful. A good under the radar pickup by GM Joe Dumars after a messy departure a few years back. 2. NIKOLA VUCEVIC (Magic): Check out these numbers (14.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg and shooting 56 per cent) and I think you can see this guy is no fluke. Loved watching him get extended minutes last season and its paying off. Hes relentless on the offensive boards and has that nose for the ball that good rebounders have. Hes getting the opportunity and is one of the bright spots for a young team that is flying high after knocking off the Brooklyn Nets. 3. LANDRY FIELDS (Raptors): None of us have any control over the bloated contract he received yet we do have control over our pure objectivity in assessing a guys game and overall contribution to a team with money left totally aside. I like what I see. Would he be a guy Id want as a teammate? Yes, definitely. Would he be a guy Id like to coach? It would be an honour. He gets it. Hes all about team and sacrifice. Smart and tough. Does he have limitations? Yes, but hes a solid rotation player who you can count on and trust to try to do the right things and be in the right places. He wont always be successful but you know the intent is precisely what the script calls for. As a former coach, you reach a point where you get tired of waiting foor guys and youd rather deal with someone who is dependable. [url=http://www.ukfreeshoessale.com/nike-free-5-0.html]Nike Free 5.0 Womens Sale UK[/url]. Fields fills that void for a number of minutes each game to allow for others to grow/prosper. I talk to lots of coaches, executives and scouts and in spite of a contract thats overpriced (no fault of Fields) to a man - hes a respected player who fits the bill as a role player with winning habits. Hes healthy and were seeing a guy regaining his confidence and earning the trust of his coaches and teammates as a guy who will be in that nine-man rotation. Guys like this are hard to keep off the floor. Its a team game. 4. MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS (Sixers): Who saw this coming? The 76ers are 3-0 and the Suns are 2-1 (they played pretty well in their loss at Oklahoma City on Sunday night and lost Goran Dragic). Carter-Williams has been awesome in their upsets. Hes averaging an amazing 20 ppg and 7 assists and is shooting 47 per cent from long distance. He guards and sets the tone for Brett Browns team defensively with his excellent lateral quicks and his ball pressure. Honestly didnt think hed be this good this early with a team that has limitations to say the least. He strikes me as a guy that will be one of those players who will be a better pro than he was in college at Syracuse. The pace and rules of the NBA game favour his game and also look at him as a guy who is still figuring out how to run a team. Has lots of ability and hes really jumped out at me. 5. XAVIER HENRY (Lakers): Style of play is a major benefit to this guy playing for Mike DAntoni. He parks himself behind the three-point arc (14.3 ppg and 45 per cent on threes) and lets loose. Watched a few of the Lakers games already and this system fits his game perfectly. Run to a spot and fire away on the catch. Im curious to see how he performs as we go along here as teams lock in with their scouting/preparation and begin to chase him off the distance line and make him score in a secondary fashion. If he can handle all that hes playing in an ideal situation for himself. 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