Leody Taveras doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Baltimore Orioles in a 5-3 win against the Athletics on Saturday night in West Sacramento, Calif.
Colton Cowser homered and scored two runs in the second game of the three-game series and Coby Mayo also scored twice for Baltimore, which has won four of five to pull within a game of the final American League wild-card spot.
Orioles right-hander Shane Baz (5-14) ended a five-start losing streak by limiting the A’s to two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Seeking his second straight win, A’s starter Jack Perkins (3-10) limited the Orioles to two runs (one earned) and four hits over five innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked four.
Carlos Cortes had two hits and an RBI, and Jeff McNeil had two hits and scored a run for the A’s, who lost the series opener 4-3 in 10 innings on Friday night.
Mayo walked to lead off the third for Baltimore and later scored when Taveras bounced a ground-rule double off the warning track in right-center for a 1-0 lead.
Cowser homered to center on a two-strike sweeper to start the fifth and make it 2-0.
Jose Suarez replaced Perkins to start the sixth, and Taveras came through with a two-out two-run double down the third-base line to extend the lead to 4-0.
The A’s loaded the bases with one out in their half of the sixth on a leadoff walk and a pair of one-out singles.
Lawrence Butler walked on four pitches to force in a run, and Baz hit Donovan Walton on the left foot with a breaking ball, forcing in another to make it 4-2 and end Baz’s evening.
The A’s loaded the bases again with one out in the seventh, but Yennier Cano came out of the bullpen and struck out Zack Gelof and Butler to end the threat.
Cam Sanders started the eighth for the Orioles and walked back-to-back batters with one out before Cortes grounded an RBI single through the right side to make it 4-3. That put runners on the corners for Jonah Heim, but he grounded into an inning-ending double play, the third twin-killing of the game for Baltimore.
The Orioles tacked on another unearned run in the ninth to make it 5-3.
Andrew Kittredge stranded two runners in the ninth for his eighth save.
