Zach Eflin goes 7 scoreless innings as Orioles beat Rays 4-1 and move into 1st place in AL East

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.

“That’s so good right there,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said of Eflin. “A little extra motivation pitching against the team that you were just with. That was textbook pitching.”

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.

“Honestly, it’s like an out-of-body experience being with these guys like 15 days ago,” Eflin said,

Eflin was able to stay at his Tampa area home and spent time with his family.

“It’s been a good while since I got to see my kids,” he said.

Rays manager Kevin Cash called it was an unique situation facing Eflin.

“Even though Eflin was here for a year and a half, it felt like he was here much longer just because of the impact he had on the club performig and what he did in the clubhouse,” Cash said.

Elfin joins Kyle Gibson (2023) and Jack Harshman (1958) as the only Orioles pitchers to win their first three starts with the team.

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.

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 Drew Rasmussen (0-0, 0.00 ERA) for Tampa Bay.

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