Matt Garza allowed three hits in six innings, Carl Crawford snapped a tie with a two-run single in the seventh, and the surging Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Baltimore Orioles (web|news) 4-2 Thursday. The Rays took two of three from Baltimore to win their third straight series and climb four games over .500 (16-12) for only the third time in the 11-year history of the franchise. Tampa Bay has never been five games over the break-even point. Adam Jones homered for the Orioles, who have lost four of five. Baltimore did not get a hit after the fourth inning.

Tampa Bay center fielder B.J. Upton left the game with a strained left shoulder, an injury that occurred while he was batting in the fifth inning. He leads the team with 22 RBIs and is one of only two Rays (with Crawford) to appear in all 28 games.

Upton had a similar injury in August 2006 and missed three games.

Making his second start since returning from the 15-day disabled list with right arm nerve irritation, Garza (1-0) enjoyed his longest and most effective outing of the season. Except for the fourth inning, when Jones homered after a two-out double by Aubrey Huff, the right-hander allowed only one runner past first base.

Garza is 4-0 lifetime against the Orioles and 5-13 against everyone else.

Dan Wheeler retired all six batters he faced and Troy Percival worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save this season and 330th overall, tying John Wetteland for 10th place on the career list.

It was 2-all before Tampa Bay pulled ahead in the seventh against Brian Burres (3-2). Shawn Riggans walked and Jason Bartlett singled, and after Jones mishandled the ball in center, the runners advanced to second and third. Jamie Walker entered and struck out Akinori Iwamura before Crawford lined a single up the middle.

Upton hit an RBI double in the first inning, and Jonny Gomes made it 2-0 in the fourth with his third homer of the season.

Notes:@ Baltimore's Brian Roberts went 4-for-9 with four walks in the series. He has an 11-game hitting streak. ... Garza has yielded three homers this season, all of them to the Orioles. ... Tampa Bay was previously four games over .500 in 1998 (10-6) and 1999 (11-7).

Written By DAVID GINSBURG

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