ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 21 (UPI) -- David DeJesus lined an RBI single to right-center with one out in the 18th inning early Saturday, giving the Tampa Bay Rays a 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
The win edged the Rays ahead of Cleveland by one-half game for the top spot in the American League wild-card race and lessened Baltimore's chances of reaching the playoffs.
Tampa Bay tied the score 4-4 in the seventh when Ben Zobrist knocked in Yunel Escobar. That would be the last run until the 18th.
Desmond Jennings doubled with one out in the Tampa Bay 18th and Escobar walked. De Jesus took a called strike but then lined a pitch over the head of second baseman Brian Roberts. Jennings scored standing up as the throw from the outfield was slightly up the third-base line.
That saddled Bud Norris (10-12) with the loss as he allowed three hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings of relief. The Ray's Jeremy Hellickson (12-9), with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief got the win. They were the last of a major-league record 21 pitchers used in the game.
DeJesus' game-winning hit left him 4-for-8 in the game while Zobrist went 3-for-8. Both players knocked in two runs over the course of the 6-hour, 54-minute contest that ended after 2 a.m. It was the longest game in either team's history.
Tampa Bay led 3-0 after two innings with DeJesus and Zobrist opening the first with back-to-back doubles and Zobrist scored on an error. DeJesus delivered a sacrifice fly in the second.
The Orioles took a 4-3 lead with rallies in three consecutive innings. Adam Jones knocked in Michael Morse with a single in the fifth, Matt Wieters scored on a groundout in the sixth and Jones had an RBI double and Danny Valencia a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
