Orioles win again, extend lead atop AL East

Rookie Colton Cowser hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning after helping to throw out the potential go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting the surging Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg homered for the AL-East leading Orioles, who have won 13 of 16 games and moved 2½ games ahead of idle Tampa Bay.

Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber drove in runs for the defending NL champion Phillies. Philadelphia has lost five of six.

Cowser entered as a defensive replacement for Aaron Hicks in the third inning after Hicks was hurt making a diving catch. In the ninth, he lofted a flyball to left against Craig Kimbrel (6-2) that went off the glove of diving left fielder Schwarber.

Bryan Baker (4-3) got the win in relief of Dean Kremer, who allowed one run on three hits in seven innings. Cionel Pérez pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his first save.

Braves bolster bullpen in a pair of trades

The NL-leading Atlanta Braves added a pair of relievers to their injury plagued bullpen, acquiring righthander Pierce Johnson from Colorado and lefty Taylor Hearn from Texas.

The Braves have baseball’s best record (64-34) and a big lead in the NL East, but they have been hit hard by injuries — especially on their pitching staff.

Relievers Nick Anderson (right shoulder strain), Dylan Lee (left shoulder inflammation), and Jesse Chavez (bruised left shin) are all on the 60day injured list. Lefty A.J. Minter is also out with shoulder inflammation, though he is set to begin a minor-league rehab stint Tuesday and could rejoin the team by next week’s trade deadline.

“You just don’t know what’s going to happen,” general manager Alex Anthopoulos said on a conference call with reporters. “You just don’t know what needs you’re gonna have, what injuries you’re gonna have. You can’t take anything for granted at any time.”

Guardians ace Bieber moved to 60-day IL

Guardians ace Shane Bieber, who has not pitched since July 9 because of right elbow inflammation, was transferred to the 60-day injured list in a procedural move.

Manager Terry Francona said the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner did not experience a setback while rehabilitating in Cleveland, but is not on track to return until mid-September.

“Shane is actually self-reporting that he’s doing great, which we love hearing,” Francona said. “But when you do the math, it’s going to be another six days until he throws, then three weeks after that until he gets back on the mound. That’s six weeks right there.”

The 28-year-old righthander was the lone Guardians pitcher to make all of his scheduled starts before the All-Star break, posting a 5-6 record with a 3.77 ERA in 19 games.

Bieber was placed on the 15-day IL following his July 9 outing against Kansas City, and a subsequent exam revealed no structural damage. The two-time All-Star is in the final year of his contract and was a candidate to be traded before being hurt.

Skubal strikes out nine as Tigers beat Giants

Tarik Skubal struck out nine while recording his first victory in more than a year and the Detroit Tigers handed the San Francisco Giants their season-worst sixth consecutive loss, 5-1.

Skubal (1-1) held the Giants scoreless on two hits in five innings in a game that was a makeup of an April 16 rainout.