The Orioles don’t have the luxury of missed opportunities, and the series against the Athletics was just that — a missed opportunity against a fellow struggling club.
It traveled 455 feet — the longest hit of Cowser’s career — and sent fans scrambling either for cover or after the loose baseball that gave Baltimore a lead it wouldn’t lose.
Starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano lowered his season ERA to 3.04 and built his growing All-Star case by pitching seven innings with one run against him.
Even with Friday’s 2-1 victory, the lack of complementary baseball made this a close-run affair and put pressure on Eflin to be perfect for much of his outing.