BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- With a pair of struggling lefthanders on the mound at Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Devils Rays likely did not expect to wrap things up in just over two hours.
Omar Daal settled down after a shaky start and combined with two relievers on a five-hitter and Melvin Mora hit a two-run homer as the Orioles defeated the road-weary Devil Rays, 4-1, for their fourth win in five games.
Daal (1-2) went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits with a strikeout and no walks. After the second, he gave up only a leadoff single to Damion Easley in the fourth. He got Toby Hall to bounce into a double play and retired 10 straight batters before Buddy Groom tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
"I was hitting my spots today," Daal said. "I felt good out there. Everything was pretty much working for me out there. I only gave up one run, that's a good sign. Anytime you can pitch a good game like that, it only makes the team better."
The win was the first in nine starts for Daal, who signed a two-year contract with Baltimore last January after spending the previous five seasons in the National League. It was Baltimore's first win by a lefthanded starter since Chuck McElroy on April 28, 2001.
Bench coach Sam Perlozzo managed the Orioles as Mike Hargrove flew to Texas to be with his mother, who was hospitalized Saturday.
"For him to get seven like he did, he did a great job," Perlozzo said. "When he needed to make his pitches, he made them this time. That was the difference. He kept the ball down the ball today, which is his style of pitching. I wanted to get him at least seven innings without any problems and that happened, which is a good thing."
Jorge Julio struck out two in a perfect ninth for his fifth save in seven chances.
Nick Bierbrodt (0-2) had another rough outing before rookie Seth McClung and Al Levine shut down Baltimore.
Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella let Bierbrodt throw only 37 pitches. He gave up four runs, five hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings as his ERA climbed to 13.19.
"We are sending Nick to the bullpen until he straightens out," Piniella said.
"I was behind everybody," said Bierbrodt, who threw just 19 strikes. "My fastballs were belt-high. I threw well warming up in the bullpen, but I did not bring it into the game."
McClung gave up one hit and struck out one in 4 2/3 innings. It was just his seventh appearance, but the 22-year-old righthander may replace Bierbrodt in the rotation.
Baltimore grabbed a quick lead as Jerry Hairston Jr. led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk and Mora hit a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for his second home run of the season.
"Whatever happens happens," Mora said. "I just try to hit the ball and swing hard. It was a fastball, middle in. It was good for us to score early. It gave Omar some breathing room."
With one out in the second, Hall singled up the middle off Daal and Terry Shumpert beat out a bunt hit. Javier Valentin singled to load the bases and Rey Ordonez lifted a sacrfice fly to left before Daal retired Carl Crawford on a comebacker.
Tony Batista had an infield single to start the bottom of the second and scored when right fielder Damian Rolls misplayed a double by Marty Cordova. Deivi Cruz grounded out to score Cordova and Brook Fordyce chased Bierbrodt with a single to right before McClung came in to retire Hairston and Mora.
