Orioles alone atop AL East after 10-inning win over slumping Rays - ESPN

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Baltimore Orioles are looking down at the rest of the AL East — and the All-Star break is in the rearview mirror.

Fun times for Colton Cowser and company.

Cowser hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series between the American League's top teams.

«I think tonight was a great team win,» Cowser said after his 11th major league game.

Baltimore started the day in first place for the first time after the All-Star break since Aug, 15, 2016. The Orioles, who were 6½ games back at the beginning of July, now have a one-game lead.

«It's just July, that's kind of where I'm at right now,» Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. «This team (the Rays) is so good and so hard to play, especially here. We've been on the other side of those type of games I can't tell you how many times.»

Aaron Hicks opened the 10th at second as the automatic runner. He advanced on pinch-hitter Adam Frazier's sacrifice bunt and scampered home on Cowser's fly ball to left against Robert Stephenson (1-4).

Félix Bautista (5-1) worked a perfect ninth for Baltimore and then stayed on for the 10th. He hit Luke Raley and struck out Randy Arozarena before Brandon Lowe bounced into a game-ending double play.

«How about Félix Bautista?» Hyde said. «I'm so lucky to have him. The reason why he pitched the 10th is because he had such an efficient ninth.… He's amazing.»

Orioles second baseman Ramón Urías helped keep the game tied in the eighth when he made a diving stop on pinch-hitter Harold Ramírez's grounder with two on and threw him out at first.

Tampa Bay has lost five in a row. It is tied with Pittsburgh for the majors' worst July record at 3-12.

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