A day after suggesting the team would go with the hot hand in the ninth inning, Trembley handed the ball to Sherrill with a four-run lead. The All-Star looked shaky at first but settled in to close out the victory -- albeit in a non-save situation.

He walked the first batter he faced and allowed a single to the next. Sherrill had runners on the corners with one out before striking out B.J. Upton on a sharp breaking pitch for the second out. Left fielder Felix Pie then made a tremendous diving catch on a Carl Crawford floater to short left.

It was patented Sherrill -- anything but boring.

"I would like to have the chance to pitch myself out of the opportunity," Sherrill said. "We do have a lot of guys to do it, but I want to be the guy to do it."

ORIOLES 8, RAYS 4: Nick Markakis gave the Orioles a three-run lead with his first-inning home run and Adam Eaton gave the team five decent innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen. Danys Baez, Jim Johnson and George Sherrill combined for four shutout innings.