DENVER (AP) — Colton Cowser made a spectacular leaping catch above the center-field fence for the final out, robbing Jake McCarthy of a game-winning homer and preserving the Baltimore Orioles' 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
Cade Povich pitched five solid innings and Cowser drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh following a 98-minute rain delay at Coors Field.
Baltimore (69-69) has won four straight and six of seven to reach .500 for the first time since taking the first game of a doubleheader against Houston 10-3 on April 30. The surging Orioles moved within a half-game of idle Cleveland in the crowded chase for the last American League wild card.
The Rockies have lost five in a row overall and a franchise-record 10 straight at home, the longest home losing streak in the majors this season.
The game was paused between the fifth and sixth due to heavy rain and lightning in the area.

#game #cowser #Rain #first

Baltimore Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser made the catch of the year in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Orioles vs. Rockies game on Monday night.
The Orioles were clinging to a 2-1 lead with two outs when Cowser went up against the fence and brought a sure homerun back in.
This catch was monumental because it gave the Orioles their fourth straight win and lifted them to .500 at 69-69.
MORE: MLB home plate umpire suddenly leaves National League game after passing out
Aside from Cowser's incredible reaction when he came down from the ball was the jubilation of Orioles reliever Andrew Kittridge.

#Rockies #Monday

DENVER (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles claimed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the New York Mets on Monday.
The Orioles, who were starting a three-game series at Colorado on Monday night, said the 29-year-old Robert had not yet reported. He hit .223 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs in 58 games for the Mets this season. He played his first six big league seasons for the Chicago White Sox, who picked up a $20 million option for him for 2026 before trading him.
Robert's contract also has a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout.
Robert was an All-Star in 2023, when he hit 38 home runs and stole 20 bases. But that's the only big league season in which he has played more than 110 games. He has a career .856 OPS against left-handers, and if he can flash some of that form he could help the Orioles, perhaps in a platoon with Colton Cowser in center field. Baltimore also recently lost corner outfielder Tyler O'Neill, like Robert a right-handed hitter, to the injured list because of a shoulder problem.
The Orioles recalled left-hander Cade Povich from Triple-A Norfolk to start Monday, optioned right-handed reliever Anthony Nunez to Norfolk and designated infielder Luis Vázquez for **** ignment.

#baltimore #luis #METS #norfolk

Happy Saturday, folks! Hope you're having a nice weekend. If you decide to spend it watching late-night West Coast baseball, I hope the Orioles grace you with a series win tonight. They ******* ed a win in Game One last night with a 4-3 victory in ten innings. Although Brandon Young pitched a strong seven innings, the bullpen couldn't hold onto a meager 2-0 lead, and it took extras to sort things out: two clutch base hits by Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand gave the birds the winning margin of victory.
Let's hope the Orioles make Game Two worth staying up for. Tonight, taking the mound at Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for the Athletics is Jack Perkins, a 26-year-old righty who debuted for the A's in 2025, and has been used mostly as a swingman. In 11 starts and 20 relief appearances in 2026, he has an ugly 6.68 ERA, although it seems he's been the victim of bad defense, to judge by his FIP (4.79) and xERA (3.96). He's still been much more effective as a reliever, going by his ERA splits (4.76 ERA in relief/8.17 ERA as a starter). His best pitch is the sweeper, which generates a 36.1% whiff rate, followed by a decent changeup and cutter. The soft spot in Perkins' ******* nal is his mid-90s four-seamer: it's been his most hittable pitch by far (.318 average, .664 slugging against, Run Value -14), and he still throws it nearly a third of the time. Perkins is also ******* e to the long ball (1.69 HR/9) and to putting runners on via the walk (3.79 BB/9) or hit-by-pitch (9 on the year).
As for the O's starter, I don't know if it's crazy or reasonable to hope for a win, given that it's unlucky Shane Baz who takes his turn on the mound tonight. Despite the fact that Baz (4.04 ERA, 3.34 FIP) has allowed three or fewer runs in 19 of his 26 starts, he doesn't have a win in his last twelve starts (which is incredible to process). And he's been pretty good! He had a 3.68 ERA in June, a 3.00 one in July, and August, while slightly worse, shows him at a 4.30 mark. Poor Baz. Can the schneid please end tonight?
Tonight's lineup features a surplus of lefties. Jackson Holliday back in the leadoff spot, and Henderson, hopefully rested after his day off, hitting third. Dylan Beavers, hot lately, is back in, and so is Cowser playing center field. The newly activated Blaze Alexander is sitting today. However, Coby Mayo, slayer of lefties, is getting a start against the right-handed Perkins anyway, hitting seventh. And Pete Alonso, lately called our team's "iron man," is still out there, hitting, even with a sore calf.
Last night saw these Orioles ******* a game back from Cleveland's lead to put them just two games back of the third and final Wild Card spot. Earlier today, the lowly Royals did the Orioles a huge favor, pummeling the Guardians 8-3, which gives the team chance to make up yet another game! The next four games against the A's and the Rockies, whom the O's visit next, represent a best chance to make score some easy wins in the wild card race

The New York Yankees have added another MLB-caliber arm to their organizational depth as they prepare for the stretch run. Just days after leaving the Kansas City Royals organization, Eli Morgan has found a new home with the Yankees, agreeing to a minor league deal with New York.
The 30-year-old right-hander will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he'll provide the Yankees with another experienced option as they build toward the postseason.
MORE: Yankees set plan for former AL Rookie of the Year
May 31, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Eli Morgan (34) delivers a pitch to the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
Morgan's path to New York came together quickly. The Royals designated him for ***** ignment earlier this week, and rather than remain in the organization, Morgan elected free agency.

#year

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Colton Cowser hit a two-run homer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a three-run double in a seven-run sixth, Trevor Rogers allowed two runs in six innings and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 on Sunday.
Jackson Holliday also drove in three runs for Baltimore, which has won three consecutive games as it chases the final wild-card spot in the American League.
Rogers (8-8) scattered seven hits while striking out six.
The teams will conclude a four-game series on Monday.
Freddy Peralta (5-10) allowed just one hit through 4 2/3 innings but allowed two runs to take the loss in his first start at home for Tampa Bay since being acquired from the New York Mets on Aug. 3. Peralta has not recorded a victory since June 14.

#seven

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Colton Cowser hit a two-run homer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a three-run double in a seven-run sixth, Trevor Rogers allowed two runs in six innings and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 on Sunday.
Jackson Holliday also drove in three runs for Baltimore, which has won three consecutive games as it chases the final wild-card spot in the American League.
Rogers (8-8) scattered seven hits while striking out six.
The teams will conclude a four-game series on Monday.
Freddy Peralta (5-10) allowed just one hit through 4 2/3 innings but allowed two runs to take the loss in his first start at home for Tampa Bay since being acquired from the New York Mets on Aug. 3. Peralta has not recorded a victory since June 14.

#three #since

Tied after nine innings of baseball, the Orioles and Rays each turned to a member of their bullpen to try and keep the other team from scoring. For the Rays, it was Bryan Baker. Baker has transformed himself into a leading closer this year, posting a 1.55 ERA and a league-leading 34 saves. His last 21 appearances have come in Rays wins. For the Orioles, it was Cam Sanders. In 2025-26, Sanders made 15 appearances for the Pirates with an 8.44 ERA and 15 walks in 16 innings. The Orioles claimed him on waivers on July 13th. Which pitcher would you take?
Baker started the 10th inning against his former team with free (and pinch) runner Colton Cowser at second base. He was facing the top of the order, which naturally meant Tyler O'Neill. O'Neill was hitless to that point, but he came through in extras. Baker gave him a 96 mph fastball and O'Neill served it right back up the middle for a single. Cowser scored and the Orioles were back on top, 4-3. Pete Alonso followed with a single, but Baker stopped the bleeding after that. (If you were watching and worried about Alonso's apparent injury on this hit, Craig Albernaz said after the game that his calf was cramping and it's not serious.)
Then it was Sanders's turn. The bushy-bearded four eyes somehow already has two saves for the Orioles. Sanders got the first out on a line drive to center field that made me glad it was Cowser out there, then issued a walk to make things dramatic. But he came back and struck out Cedric Mullins and Richie Palacios to end the game. Orioles win, 4-3! Cam Sanders 1, Bryan Baker 0.
The game started, of course, with Kyle Bradish. He gutted through six innings without his best stuff tonight. His command was off; he was very hittable. Still, he got it done when he needed to and held the Rays to just two runs in six innings. It might have only been one run if not for a throwing error by Carlos Narváez.
Bradish started off pretty well. He worked around a single in the first and after a 1-2-3 second inning was sitting at just 19 pitches. That gave the Orioles the chance to take an early lead. In the second inning, Gunnar Henderson singled with one out. After Christian Encarnacion-Strand flew out, it was up to the bottom of the lineup to bring Henderson home. I am beginning to see why it's not ideal for him to bat fifth.

#sanders

New mock draft predicts Georgia Tech star crashing the Orioles first round originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Baltimore Orioles are another team that knows just how important it is to hit on these first-round picks in the MLB Draft. They use these top draft picks as the engine of their franchise.
They have done well over the years, drafting players like Ryan Mountcastle, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, and Jackson Holliday in the first round.
Last year, they were given the No. 19 pick, taking University of Auburn catcher Ike Irish, but this year, they will be drafting much higher as they were awarded the No. 7 pick.
MORE: Orioles' 1.72 ERA potential All-Star may 'vanish' before trade deadline

The good thing about the punishing grind of an MLB season is it doesn’t allow a lot of time for wallowing. Just one day after the Mariners blew a winnable game in Detroit to drop a series against the lowly Tigers, they escaped with a win in Baltimore today in the series opener against the Orioles, 6-3. There were many aspects of this game that mirrored Sunday’s heartbreaking loss, but today the Mariners came out on top thanks to some timely challenges and a big blast from Josh Naylor.
Emerson Hancock was good, not great, today. The Achilles heel in Hancock’s breakout season – aside from some yucky peripherals on his fastball – has been his occasional command outages, something that’s plagued him since he was in the minors, although his struggles with command now seem to be more related to his expanded ******* nal, especially the devastating but finicky sweeper.
That sweeper got away from Hancock in the third: he hit Blaze Alexander to lead off the inning before getting it back to strike out Sam Huff looking on the pitch. But Hancock then lost the handle on his sinker to Taylor Ward, walking him on five pitches, and losing an eight-pitch battle with Gunnar Henderson to walk the bases full. A sacrifice fly from Pete Alonso brought home the first run of the game, but Hancock was able to cap the damage there, getting Colton Cowser to fly out harmlessly to end the Orioles threat.
It wasn’t pretty – Hancock was at 69 pitches by the end of the third before bouncing back with a six-pitch fourth – with Hancock missing his good secondaries, needing to lean heavily on the sinker today, a pitch that has a propensity to get hit hard; he almost doubled up his usage of the pitch today, but also had some extra velo on the sinker, which helped keep the ball finding gloves. The only tick against Hancock was his search for command cost him about an inning of work, going just five innings a day after the Mariners got just 5.2 innings out of their starter yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Mariners hitters struggled against Orioles rookie Trey Gibson (not to be confused with umpire “Power” Tripp Gibson), making a start in place of the injured Chris Bassitt. Gibson poounded the bottom of the zone, eliciting a bunch of weak-contact groundball outs. Finally, in the fifth, Dominic Canzone led off the inning with a single, and then with one out Jhonny Pereda hit a solid line drive single (101.2 mph exit velocity). Ryan Bliss, getting a start after Colt Emerson was a late scratch with back tightness and J.P. Crawford was placed on the 10-day IL after being hit in the hand by Public Enemy #1 Framber Valdez – did his job, knocking in the run with a sac fly. Pretty good, considering Bliss had been ferried to the ballpark with such little fanfare his bags didn’t even arrive (leading to a very cute exchange postgame where similar Short King Brad Adam offered to loan Bliss some of his clothes). Cole Young, pressed into leadoff duty, kept the pressure on, cashing in his Dollar Token o

BALTIMORE (AP) — Josh Naylor hit a grand slam during a five-run fifth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 on Monday night.
Randy Arozarena had three hits for the AL West-leading Mariners, who have won 10 of their last 13 games.
Baltimore, which was 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, has lost three in a row for the first time since getting swept May 18-20 at Tampa Bay.
The Mariners tied it at 1 in the fifth on Ryan Bliss’ one-out sacrifice fly. Cole Young’s single ended Baltimore rookie Trey Gibson’s outing, and reliever Anthony Nunez walked Julio Rodríguez to load the bases. Naylor then lofted a fly just over the wall in right for his seventh homer of the season.
The Orioles closed within 5-2 in the seventh when reliever Matt Brash’s wild pitch reached the backstop and allowed Coby Mayo to score. Brash nearly walked Pete Alonso to force in another run two batters later, but Seattle challenged and Alonso was out on a called third strike. Colton Cowser grounded out to leave the bases loaded.

Orioles linked to Georgia Tech's slugging outfielder with pick No. 7 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Playing in a division like the American League East, the Baltimore Orioles know just how important it is to have a solid farm system. They have to draft sure-fire players in order for them to keep up.
They have had good luck in the past with their first-round picks, like Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, and Adley Rustchman. And this year, they hold their best draft pick since taking Jackson Holliday No. 1 overall in 2022, as they were awarded the No. 7 pick in this year's draft.
There will be some elite talent to choose from with this pick. The question is, do they go after a high school player or a college player, and what position?
MORE: Orioles' Jackson Holliday problem includes multiple issues

Sometimes you eat the road, and sometimes the road eats you. I’m not totally sure how relevant that is to today’s Orioles-Red Sox game, but what I mean is, this was a total inversion of Wednesday’s lopsided, 8-1 loss. As the O’s unsuccessful starter that night, Chris Bassitt, said after the game, “When your starter goes three innings and gives up three runs, that’s pretty much a recipe for disaster, so this one’s on me.” Today, however, Orioles starter Trevor Rogers looked just fine, thanks, and it was a recipe for a win.
An easy win, at that. Boston starter Brayan Bello has had a curiously bimodal 2026 season: when he starts games, he has a 9.68 ERA, but he’s under 1.00 when he comes in after an opener. Well, the Sox played with fate, and Bello got rocked in the first inning, to the tune of six runs. It wasn’t much of a nailbiter after that.
It started with the leadoff pitch, which leadoff hitter Taylor Ward did something predictable to—he doubled—and a Bello cutter hit Gunnar Henderson on the foot. Adley Rutschman singled to the gap, and Ward made it 1-0. Then, oh no!, Pete Alonso hit into a double play. I confess I thought the rally was over.
I was very wrong. Samuel Basallo took a very grown-up walk. Leody Taveras singled through the infield and Gunnar scored. 2-0, Birds. Still not done: Colton Cowser walked to load the bases for Coby Mayo. Bello threw him a bunch of sweepers—one too many: Cowser skied a ball three-fourths of the way off The Monster, and all the little Orioles came home.
Baltimore had one more trick up their sleeve, still with two outs: Jackson Holliday walked, and leadoff man Taylor Ward came back to the plate, and singled up the middle, his second hit of the inning. 6-0, Orioles, after one.