Rays 7, Orioles 4
Matt Joyce knocked in three runs and Alex Cobb won his second straight start since coming off the disabled list as visiting Tampa Bay notched its sixth victory in seven games.
Joyce recorded a two-run double and Wil Myers knocked in two more with a single as the Rays pushed their lead to 7-2 in the ninth and moved percentage points ahead of Boston atop the American League East. Cobb (8-2) allowed two runs (one earned), three hits and walked four while striking out five over six-plus innings.
Matt Wieters belted a two-run homer in the ninth for the Orioles before Fernando Rodney came on to earn his 29th save. Miguel Gonzalez (8-6) yielded three runs (two earned) and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings to suffer the loss as Baltimore remained four games behind Oakland for the second AL wild card spot.
The top defensive teams in the majors made errors in the second that led to runs as Tampa Bay's Yunel Escobar, who had three hits, and Baltimore's Ryan Flaherty registered RBI singles. Ben Zobrist drilled a run-scoring double down the right field line and came home on Joyce’s sacrifice fly in the third as the Rays edged in front 3-1.
The Orioles loaded the bases with none out in the seventh, scoring only once to close within a run on a 5-4 double-play grounder by Brian Roberts against reliever Alex Torres. Tampa Bay loaded the bases against reliever T.J. McFarland in the ninth and Joyce’s line drive fell just inside the line in right field to make it 5-2 before Myers dropped his single into right.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Zobrist recorded his 447th career RBI for the Rays, tying B.J. Upton for fifth on the club’s all-time list. … Wieters is 16-for-48 with five homers against Tampa Bay this season. … Cobb has allowed three runs (two earned) and six hits over 11 innings in two outings since he returned from missing two months with a concussion. The right-hander was hit in the right ear by a line drive June 15.