Zach Eflin stunk, the O’s offense went silent, and Tampa Bay outclassed the Birds in every facet to open a four-game set.

Shane Baz pitched 6 2/3 effective innings and Jonathan Aranda hit a two-run double in the fifth inning after scoring the first run in a three-run second inning as the visiting Tampa Bay Rays continued their surge with a 9-0 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon.

Shane Baz had lots of reasons to smile after Sunday’s outing in which he used his high-octane fastball and a good mix of his curve, changeup and reworked slider/cutter to hold the Mets to three hits while working into the seventh inning.