The Tampa Bay Rays might be leaving Baltimore in the same position they arrived — as owners of the best record in the major leagues — but they took a back seat to the Orioles this week.

The three-game set between the two best teams in the American League opened with a dominant Rays victory, but the Orioles overcame that shutout loss Monday to win two straight and take the series over the AL East juggernaut. Baltimore won the rubber match Wednesday, 2-1, thanks to Dean Kremer’s stellar start and a sixth-inning rally on offense.

Kremer pitched perhaps his best game this season, especially considering the opponent. The 27-year-old delivered six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out four, to continue Baltimore’s stretch of six consecutive solid (or better) starts that dates to Friday in Atlanta.

Like Tuesday’s 4-2 triumph, Wednesday’s wasn’t one that featured Orioles sluggers mashing baseballs. Baltimore’s bats have mustered just 12 runs in their past five games while struggling mightily with runners in scoring position. Despite the stumbles, the Orioles capitalized on their best scoring opportunity of the night, plating two runs in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Adam Frazier and an RBI single from Austin Hays.

Baltimore’s bullpen followed Kremer to cap off the win, as Austin Voth, Danny Coulombe and Yennier Cano combined to allow just one run in three innings. Coulombe struck out both batters he faced in the eighth to strand a runner, and Cano continued his surprising dominance with a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season.

The series win — the club’s eighth in its last nine — over the Rays (29-9) is Baltimore’s second straight over an AL East opponent after it dropped the first two divisional sets of the season. The Orioles (24-13) are 6-6 against the AL East; they went 34-42 against the division in 2022. They are 11-5 at Oriole Park and have won 16 of their past 22 games.

This story will be updated.

Pirates at Orioles

Friday, 7:05 p.m.

TV: MASN2, MLB Network

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

()