BALTIMORE — The initial suspense in Wednesday’s game was over how long Rays pitchers were going to continue their no-hit bid, which ended in the seventh inning.
But then the bigger question concerned why Rays closer Pete Fairbanks sealed the 6-2 victory with a kiss.
Especially because Fairbanks blew it in the direction of the Orioles dugout two batters after hitting Baltimore first baseman Samuel Basallo on the right wrist with a pitch.
Fairbanks dismissed the initial social media reaction that he was taking aim at the Orioles, saying the target was a fan seated above the home dugout who had yelled some rude things at him.
“No. No, no, no. No, no, no. For people that want to speculate out there — this is straight from the source — it was to a guy about [5-foot-8 mlb.com reporter] Adam Berry’s size, wearing about a 2008 Majestic dugout jacket and a dad Orioles hat,“ Fairbanks said. ”From everything I’ve heard about their squad from [Rays/former Orioles reliever Bryan Baker] and everything, I don’t think that I’d be chirping a group of Lego-loving people like that, especially after unfortunately smoking their No. 1 prospect.”
And that, Fairbanks said, was that.
“I’m not talking about it anymore. I don’t think it needs to be addressed anymore,” he said. “I had nothing to their dugout. I have nothing but respect for the guys over there that are playing hard, competing. That’s the last thing on my mind is to do anything that could look like — obviously, it might have — but to rub in anything that I feel terrible about is not what happened.”
Fairbanks said he couldn’t repeat what the fan said.
“It’s words I’m not allowed to say on air,” he said. “You want to tell me all sorts of things about myself? Cool. We’re human. Professionals. But sometimes we respond.”
Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said he heard the fan yelling at Fairbanks and assumed that’s who Fairbanks was addressing.
“I think there was maybe some confusion in our dugout as to the direction that he was making the gesture toward,” Mansolino said.
“There should be no reason for anything to go toward our dugout in that situation. I hope that’s what it wasn’t. But that’s just my understanding. I think it’s probably a little bit of confusion and misunderstanding would be my guess.”
Nor, Mansolino said, did he think Fairbanks intentionally hit Basallo, whose X-rays were negative.
“Not at all,” he said. “Kevin Cash runs a classy program over there. There’d be no reason for them to do that.”
The six-inning no-hit bid was the Rays’ longest of the season.
Shane Baz worked the first four innings, walking three but otherwise putting a fine finish on his first full major-league season. He went 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA in 166 ⅓ innings over 31 starts.
Edwin Uceta and Garrett Cleavinger each worked 1-2-3 innings, but Griffin Jax ended the bid for the second no-hitter in franchise history and what would have been the first in the majors this season when he allowed a leadoff single to Tyler O’Neill in the seventh.
“I was glued to the [clubhouse] TV,” Baz said. “I don’t think Jax had any idea. Someone mentioned it to him, and he was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ So that was pretty funny.”
Cash was pleased with the overall work of the pitchers, who allowed three hits for the night.
The Rays improved to 77-81 and moved back to three games ahead of the last-place Orioles with four to play.
The Rays scored single runs in six different innings for just the third time in franchise history.
Highlights included Brandon Lowe hitting his 31st homer, Jake Mangum hitting his second over-the-fence homer (to go with one inside-the-parker), Junior Caminero picking up his 109th RBI and Richie Palacios rapping three hits and scoring twice.
