ST. PETERSBURG -- Steve Pearce went 2-for-4 with a home run to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday.

Pearce has five home runs in his last 11 games against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Orioles reliever Kevin Gausman gave up two runs in 2 1/3 innings to earn the win. Zach Britton pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

Rays starter Nathan Karns gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.

Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier went 2-for-4 with a triple and a two-run homer to straight away center in the bottom of the sixth that made the score 6-5 but the Rays would not get another runner on base.

The Orioles scored four runs in the first inning off Karns. Right fielder Travis Snider hit an RBI single that scored Alejandro De Aza, and center fielder Adam Jones followed with a two-run double to deep center that scored Pearce and Snider. Jones eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Manny Machado.

Pearce increased the lead to 6-0 in the top of the second inning with a two-run homer to left center off Karns. The rookie right-hander settled down from there and retired eight consecutive batters.

The Rays got a run off Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen in the bottom of the third when Kiermaier led off with a triple and scored on a grounder by right fielder Steven Souza Jr.

Tampa Bay tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth when first baseman Logan Forsythe hit a two-run homer on the 11th pitch of his at-bat, slicing the Orioles' lead to 6-3.

The Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but Gausman replaced Chen and got the last two outs to protect the three-run margin.

NOTES: Orioles DH Chris Davis was reinstated Tuesday and batted fifth in the lineup after completing his 25-game suspension. He tested positive last year for using amphetamines without a prescription, and he served the final game of the penalty on Opening Day. ... Rays DH John Jaso was out of the lineup after leaving Monday's game with a left wrist contusion sustained when he slid into second base headfirst. Rays manager Kevin Cash said Jaso told him he would not slide headfirst anymore. ... Orioles SS J.J. Hardy (shoulder) took infield grounders before the game and will take swings Wednesday before possibly heading out on a rehab assignment. ... Rays 1B James Loney was not in the lineup Tuesday due to a "tweaked" side.