Rutschman's career day (6 RBIs) carries red-hot O's

ST. PETERSBURG -- A smile crept across the face of Grayson Rodriguez, who was ready to dish out the compliments for Adley Rutschman -- his catcher, his teammate and a fellow former first-round Draft pick instrumental in Baltimore’s recent success.

“It’s special. It’s special, for sure,” Rodriguez said of Rutschman’s abilities. “It’s somebody that I want back there behind the plate catching and calling my game. I think he makes the rotation and the bullpen a lot better.”

Simply put, Rutschman makes the Orioles better, as he showed yet again Sunday afternoon.

After helping Rodriguez navigate 5 2/3 terrific innings, Rutschman put a bow on another American League East win over the Rays, belting an eighth-inning grand slam in a 9-2 victory at Tropicana Field. It was the second career slam for the 26-year-old backstop, who recorded a career-high six RBIs in a 3-for-5 performance.

The O’s (42-22) are a season-high 20 games above .500 after their 13th win in 17 games.

“As a team, collectively, I think you see guys just continually getting a little bit better each day,” Rutschman said. “That’s why it’s fun to watch. Like, you see guys continuously improving because they’re just so committed to their process.”

Among those players is the sophomore right-hander Rodriguez, who again pitched well while paired with Rutschman for the 10th time in 11 outings this season.

Rodriguez’s day began with five perfect frames, as the 24-year-old retired the first 15 Rays batters before walking Taylor Walls to open the sixth. Rodriguez didn’t give up a hit until there were two outs that inning, when Yandy Díaz knocked a single.

Despite throwing a career-high 107 pitches, Rodriguez couldn’t get through the sixth. But he still allowed only two runs on two hits and a walk while recording six strikeouts and inducing a career-best 18 whiffs (which he also did May 28 vs. the Red Sox).

With a 3.27 ERA in 63 1/3 innings -- as well as a 2.31 ERA in 35 innings over his past six starts -- Rodriguez has been a key contributor on a Baltimore staff that ranks third in MLB with a 3.12 rotation ERA.

“You can see it in their presence on the mound, and I think that’s something that’s cool to see from our end,” Rutschman said. “Guys are throwing with confidence, and they know that their stuff plays in the big leagues. I think it makes my job a lot easier and a lot more fun.”

Rodriguez echoed a similar sentiment as the reasoning for his and other starters’ success.

“Confidence is high right now,” Rodriguez said. “Defense has been playing great. Obviously, any time that you can pitch with a lineup like we have eases your mind a lot. So I think as long as you can go out there and just get outs, I think you’re put in a pretty good chance to win.”

The Orioles rattled off 13 hits while recording a grand slam and three triples (courtesy of Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Jordan Westburg) in the same game for the first time in franchise history. They slugged another pair of home runs -- including a solo shot from Anthony Santander -- to boost their Major League-leading homer total to 102.

Rutschman (who leads the team with a .306 average) has been at the heart of the offense, and he sealed a third straight win over the Rays on one swing. With the bases loaded and two outs in a 5-2 game in the eighth, he stepped to the plate to face right-hander Phil Maton and then golfed a low 0-2 curveball over the right-field wall.

When the O’s have runners in scoring position, there’s likely no hitter they’d rather have at the plate than Rutschman, who is hitting .418 (23-for-55) in those spots.

“I think Adley’s one of the first guys you want up in any situation,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Just the at-bats he takes, and he can really hit. You’re always happy when he’s up at the plate.”

On Monday night, Baltimore will look to complete a four-game sweep at the Trop for the first time. It could happen, considering the Orioles are 16-6 in AL East play, the second-best divisional record in MLB behind only the Mariners (14-5 in AL West).

Amid a stretch of 30 games in 31 days, the O’s continue to play some of their best baseball.

“Honestly, I’m really proud of our team, just from the standpoint of I think our guys show up every single day and they’re ready to go,” Rutschman said. “Guys don’t take at-bats off, they don’t take days off. Even a day like today, early game, guys show up and they’re ready to go. Everyone’s attitude and their effort levels the entire year have been extremely impressive.”