Saturday, 4 a.m.
And in the American League East, we have a race.
The Tampa Bay Rays finally chased down the Baltimore Orioles Friday night, winning a decisive 7-1 victory that tied the AL East Standings. The Orioles lead by a game in the loss column, but overall, the teams are tied.
Zach Eflin threw one of his finest games, a seven-inning one-hitter, to lead the Rays’ win. Eflin allowed only a solo homer to young Heston Kjersted in the bottom of the sixth. Eflin struck out eight and kept a strong O’s lineup guessing most of the night.
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The Rays, on the other hand, had their way with Baltimore starter Jack Flaherty, picking up two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth. The big blow, however, was a pinch-hit, three-run homer by Harold Ramirez off of D.L. Hall in the seventh.
The Rays had 13 hits in all. Manny Margot, returning to the lineup, had three hits, two of them doubles. Randy Arozarena also had three hits. Ramirez had two.
Brandon Lowe hit his 20th home run.
The Rays and Orioles play again tonight at 7:05 p.m. Tyler Glasnow will start for the Rays against the Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez.