Baltimore, MD (My Sportsbook) - B.J. Upton belted a three-run homer in the third, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays twice battled back from deficits to top the Baltimore Orioles, 8-6, and sweep a three-game series.

Nick Markakis and Kevin Millar homered for the Orioles, who have lost nine straight. Baltimore finished its 10-game homestand 1-9, the worst homestand in franchise history, sliding past the Orioles' 2-8 stand in 1987.

Josh Wilson homered and finished with three hits, and Akinori Iwamura also homered for the Devil Rays, who have won seven of their last nine. Scott Kazmir (11-8) tossed a shaky five innings, but got the win for the D-Rays, allowing seven hits and five runs in five innings, fanning five and walking three.

Jeremy Guthrie (7-5) was spotted to an early 3-0 lead, but couldn't hold it, allowing eight hits and six runs -- five earned -- in six innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.

"Nice game," said Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon. "Kazmir didn't have his best stuff, but the bullpen was outstanding and permitted us to win the game."

The Orioles looked ready to bust out of their losing streak in the first, with Brian Roberts doubling to left to get things started, and Corey Patterson reaching when Kazmir misplayed his sacrifice bunt. Markakis made them pay for the error immediately, belting a homer to center, and the home team had a 3-0 lead.

Wilson led off the third with homer to dead center, putting the D-Rays on the board, but Guthrie rebounded to retire the next two Tampa Bay batters. Carl Crawford lined a ground-rule double into left, though, and Carlos Pena walked, setting up Upton's homer to right, putting the D-Rays on top by a run.

Millar answered quickly for the O's, ripping a two-run homer with one out in the third, and Baltimore was back on top.

Tampa Bay tied things in the fourth, with Brendan Harris coming home on Josh Paul's bunt, knotting the game at 5-5. The D-Rays went on top in the sixth when, with runners at the corners and two outs, Crawford came through with a clutch single to right, plating the go-ahead run.

Iwamura added to the Tampa Bay lead with his two-out, solo homer in the eighth, and the D-Rays plated another insurance run in the ninth on pinch- hitter Greg Norton's sacrifice fly.

Those insurance runs came in handy in the ninth, with the O's rallying for a run on Patterson's RBI double, but Al Reyes rebounded to strike out Markakis, and Miguel Tejada lined out to right to end the game.

Game Notes

The Devil Rays had not swept a team on the road since August 12-14, 2005 at Cleveland...Prior to the game, the Orioles announced that they had designated righty reliever Rob Bell for assignment, and selected the contract of right- handed Jon Leicester from Triple-A Norfolk. Leicester entered with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, and recorded the last two outs, but did allow a run, not charged to him, to score on a sac fly...Crawford finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. He now has 48 hits in August, a new club record for the most in any month with one game still to play.