ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Eflin worked seven scoreless innings against his former team and the Baltimore Orioles moved into sole possession of first place in the American League East on Friday night with a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Eflin (8-7) scattered four hits, walked one and struck out seven for his third straight victory since Baltimore obtained the right-hander from Tampa Bay on July 26.
Seranthony Domínguez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Yennier Cano gave up a leadoff homer to Dylan Carlson in the ninth before closing out the combined five-hitter.
Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins homered for the Orioles, who have a half-game lead over the idle Yankees. New York’s game with Texas on Friday night was postponed by rain.
Cowser, leading off the first, hit Zack Littell’s fourth pitch for his 18th homer. It was the rookie’s second career leadoff home run.
After Gunnar Henderson drew a walk in a 10-pitch at-bat to load the bases with two outs in the fifth, Ryan O’Hearn made it 3-0 when he flared a two-run run single to center.
Littell (2-4) gave up three runs and eight hits over five innings.
Baltimore went up 4-0 on Mullins’ homer in the sixth inning off Richard Lovelady.
Henderson went 0 for 4, and is hitless in his last 16 at-bats.
Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday had his streak of scoring a run and having an RBI end at six consecutive games. It was the longest streak by a player under 21 years old since New York Giants’ Hall of Famer Mel Ott had a nine-game run in 1920.
TRANSACTION
Baltimore signed INF Jean Segura to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Norfolk. He has a career .281 batting average in parts of 12 MLB seasons.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: Ace Shane McClanahan (Tommy John surgery) is up to 15 pitches in his bullpen sessions. The lefty won’t return until 2025. … RHP Ryan Pepiot (right knee infection) is scheduled to throw 65 to 70 pitches Saturday night for Double-A Montgmery.
UP NEXT
Baltimore RHP Corbin Burnes (12-4, 2.63 ERA) is looking to get his major league-tying, and career-best, 13th win on Saturday. LHP Tyler Alexander (5-3, 5.43 ERA) is set to follow a reliever — possibly RHP Drew Rasmussen (0-0, 0.00 ERA) — for Tampa Bay.
