Baltimore center fielder Colton Cowser robbed Jake McCarthy of a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, preserving the Orioles’ 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in Denver on a rainy Monday night.
Baltimore has won four straight and eight in the last 10 to move within a half-game of the Cleveland Guardians for the final AL wild-card spot.
With two outs and Ryan Ritter on second, McCarthy launched Andrew Kittredge’s 95 mph sinker to the deep part of the field. Cowser ran back, jumped and reached over the wall to take a walk-off homer away from McCarthy.
Grant Wolfram (6-2) tossed two innings of scoreless relief before Kittredge picked up his ninth save for the Orioles, who reached .500 for the first time since the end of April.
The game was delayed 1 hour, 38 minutes, after the fifth inning due to rain.
Troy Johnston and Hunter Goodman doubled for Colorado, which has lost a franchise-record 10 straight home games and five in a row overall.
Baltimore grabbed the lead in the seventh inning without getting a hit. Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo drew walks from Mark Manfredi (1-1). Nick Frasso came on with one out and walked Blaze Alexander to load the bases.
Cowser hit a potential double-play grounder to second, but he was ruled safe at first after a challenge, bringing home Mayo.
The Rockies took the lead in the fourth inning against Baltimore starter Cade Povich. Goodman led off with a double, TJ Rumfield walked, and after Willi Castro fanned, both runners moved up on Mickey Moniak’s groundout.
Jordan Beck followed with a sharp single up the middle to bring home Goodman, making it 1-0.
The Orioles tied it in the fifth inning when Dylan Beavers and Basallo began the frame with consecutive doubles, but Colorado starter Tanner Gordon kept the damage to one run.
Gordon allowed one run on three hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one. Povich gave up a run on five hits and three walks in five innings. He fanned four.
