Cowser hits tiebreaking HR, Laureano has HR among 3 hits as Orioles beat Athletics 7-4
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Colton Cowser hit a tiebreaking 455-foot home run in the sixth inning and the Baltimore Orioles held on to beat the Athletics 7-4 on Saturday night.
Ramón Laureano also homered and had three hits and three RBIs to help the Orioles get their seventh win in eight games. Gunnar Henderson also had three hits.
Cowser, who homered on Tuesday in his first game back off the 60-day injured list, crushed a first-pitch cutter from A's starter Luis Severino (1-6) that landed deep into the grass beyond the outfield wall in right field.
Keegan Akin (1-0) retired one batter for the win. Felix Bautista struck out three in the ninth for his 12th save.
Jacob Wilson and Lawrence Butler each had two hits for the A's. Tyler Soderstrom, the team leader with 14 home runs, walked four times.
Severino allowed eight hits and six runs — five earned — in 5 2/3 innings.
The A's got to Morton for four runs in a wild first inning that included five hits, a bases-loaded walk and a ground-rule double that bounced into the stands near third base. Max Schuemann also drove in a run with an infield single when he slid under Morton's tag attempt near first base.
The 41-year-old Morton retired seven batters and allowed six hits and four walks.
JJ Bleday led off the fifth with a walk for the Athletics but was thrown out sliding into home plate trying to score on Butler's double
Seven Orioles pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts, extending the team's streak with at least eight Ks to 12 games, the longest active streak in the majors.
Orioles RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (5-3, 3.04 ERA) pitches the series finale Sunday. The A's have not announced a starter.
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