Trevor Rogers pitched into the eighth inning, Coby Mayo homered twice and the Baltimore Orioles took advantage of Cleveland’s wildness on the mound, beating the Guardians 6-4 on Monday to snap a six-game losing streak.
The Orioles pulled within three games of Cleveland for the final AL wild card.
The Orioles scored only one run over their previous three games against Boston, but Joey Cantillo (9-9) did plenty to help them out of their slump, allowing three hits and five walks and hitting two batters in 2 1/3 innings. Baltimore left eight runners on base in the first three innings but still led 4-0.
Pinch-hitter Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run homer in the ninth for Cleveland off Andrew Kittredge. Josh Walker got the final out for his first career save.
Cleveland’s Steven Kwan led off the game with a groundball single up the middle. He was quickly erased on a double play, and Rogers retired everyone else he faced until the Guardians strung together three straight hits with two outs in the sixth.
Cantillo and reliever Franco Aleman combined to throw 102 pitches in the first three innings — just two fewer than Rogers needed to go 7 1/3.
Jo Adell‘s bloop double landed barely fair in right field in the sixth to bring home the first Cleveland run. Mayo had a two-run homer in the bottom half for his first career multihomer game.
Cantillo is tied for the major league lead with 77 walks.
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