Ramon Laureano homered and collected three hits and three RBIs, while Colton Cowser crushed a towering home run to help lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-4 win over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night in West Sacramento, California.
Gunnar Henderson reached base four times, tallying three singles and a hit-by-pitch. He also contributed an RBI, a run, a stolen base, and made a crucial defensive play that saved a run. Cowser added two hits for Baltimore, which has now won seven of its last eight games and tied the three-game series at one apiece.
Lawrence Butler and Jack Wilson each recorded two hits for the Athletics, who saw their brief two-game win streak come to an end. Oakland has now dropped 21 of its last 24 contests.
Cowser’s mammoth 455-foot homer to right in the sixth off Luis Severino (1-6) broke a 4-4 tie. Later that inning, the Orioles capitalized on two walks and a throwing error by third baseman Logan Davidson on a Jackson Holliday grounder to tack on another run.
Baltimore extended its lead to 7-4 in the seventh. After Henderson was plunked by Hogan Harris, he stole second and scored on Laureano’s single to left.
Felix Bautista earned his 12th save, walking Tyler Soderstrom to start the ninth before striking out the next three batters.
Keegan Akin (1-0) threw just one pitch — a double — but was credited with the win.
Severino allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out five and issuing four walks.
The Orioles clawed back from an early 3-0 deficit in the fourth. Ryan O’Hearn walked and scored on Laureano’s two-run shot to left. In the fifth, Adley Rutschman doubled with two outs and came home on Henderson’s game-tying single.
The Athletics nearly retook the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, but Henderson’s sharp relay throw cut down JJ Bleday at the plate after a double by Butler.
Baltimore starter Charlie Morton lasted just 2 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five.
After O’Hearn’s sacrifice fly gave the Orioles a first-inning lead, Oakland responded with a four-run bottom half, sending 10 batters to the plate. Butler doubled and scored on Wilson’s single, while MacIver and Bleday each drove in runs, and Max Schuemann’s infield single plated another.
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