ST. PETERSBURG — All of a sudden, everything is trending upward for the Baltimore Orioles, who are now sitting in sole possession of the third American League Wild Card spot.
You read that correctly — if the season ended today, the Orioles (61-63), who have struggled for much of the 2026 season, would be heading to the postseason.
All it took for Baltimore to make this recent surge up the standings was a trip down to Tropicana Field to face the AL’s top team, which also happened to be MLB’s hottest squad.
The O’s continued their strong weekend in St. Petersburg on Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 10-2 win over the Rays. Baltimore will have a chance for a four-game sweep over its AL East rivals on Monday night, as well as an opportunity to improve to only one game below .500 for the first time since April 30.
Tampa Bay (74-49) had won nine straight games before the Orioles came to town Friday.
“We go out there and beat a good team three nights in a row, I don’t think it’s much of a fluke,” said Jackson Holliday, who tallied two hits and three RBIs. “We have a really good team, and we’re going out there and showing it.”
This has been a needed turnaround by the O’s, whose three-city road trip wasn’t going well before an off-day this past Thursday. They dropped two of three games at both Texas and Minnesota, and their AL Wild Card odds were worsening. Now, they’re a half-game ahead of the Rangers and one game in front of the Blue Jays, Guardians and Tigers in a crowded race for the third spot.
“Obviously, the Rays coming in, best record in baseball, coming off a nine-game heater on the road, West Coast road trip, which is really impressive to do,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “For us, we really believe we can play with anyone. You have to believe that, and I truly believe that, and the guys in that room believe it, most importantly.”
The most impressive part of Sunday’s victory was a seven-run rally in the sixth, the Orioles’ biggest inning of the season. Baltimore held a 3-1 lead entering the frame after plating three runs in the fifth on Holliday’s game-tying two-out RBI single and Pete Alonso’s go-ahead two-run double.
Rays left-hander Steven Matz started the sixth by getting Christian Encarnacion-Strand to line out to third base and getting Dylan Beavers to ground out to shortstop. But then, a two-out rally ensued with a string of at-bats that may have been the Orioles’ best of the year.
Here’s what transpired after Beavers’ groundout:
• Leody Taveras singled to right field
• Colton Cowser hit a two-run home run to right-center (O’s lead 5-1)
• Coby Mayo singled to center
• Yohel Pozo drew an eight-pitch walk
• Holliday hit a two-run double to right-center (O’s lead 7-1)
• (The Rays replaced Matz with right-hander Joe Boyle)
• Alonso drew a 10-pitch walk
• Gunnar Henderson drew a 10-pitch walk
• Encarnacion Beach hit a three-run double to left (O’s lead 10-1)
• Beavers strikes out looking to end the inning
Matz and Boyle combined to throw 59 pitches, the fifth most in an inning in MLB this season. It was the most pitches the Orioles have seen in an inning since they saw 69 during a nine-run eighth in a 9-8 win over the Royals on Sept. 8, 2021.
Cowser’s homer was the first of his 11 this season to come off a left-hander. Holliday, a fellow left-handed hitter, recorded left-on-left knocks in consecutive innings across the fifth and sixth.
It was the first time Baltimore plated seven or more runs in an inning since a nine-run seventh during an 18-0 win over Colorado on July 26, 2025.
“Just going up there for your teammates more than yourself and trying to get the job done, kind of the gritty kind of at-bats that it takes to win games, especially against teams like that, because you know they’re going to do that,” Holliday said. “And I think that’s what makes really good teams.”
It’s quite remarkable that the Orioles have withstood adversity well enough this season to still be in postseason contention. They didn’t have a winning month until July (when they went 15-8), then still sold at the Aug. 3 trade deadline, moving catcher Adleyrutschman (Red Sox), outfielder Taylor Ward (Mariners) and right-handers Dean Kremer (Twins) and Tyler Wells (Rays).
Why does Albernaz think his team has stayed upbeat and remained in the fight?
“Our guys do a great job of being resilient and rolling with the punches and keeping on going,” Albernaz said. “There’s a lot of belief in that room — whoever’s in that room.”
There’s also a belief from the O’s that they can keep this momentum going.
“We’ve got one more (vs. the Rays) tomorrow, and we’re not going to let up,” said left-hander Trevor Rogers, who allowed two runs in six innings. “We know what’s at stake. We have a month and a half of baseball left, and we’re right there. We’ve just got to keep fighting, believing in each other and good things will happen.”
