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Colton Cowser and James McCann each hit two of Baltimore’s five home runs Friday and the Orioles began a key three-game series by defeating the visiting Detroit Tigers 7-1.

Anthony Santander also homered and Corbin Burnes pitched seven shutout innings against Detroit for the second time in six days.

Santander has 43 home runs after going deep in back-to-back games. Baltimore finished with nine hits, six of which went for extra bases.

Gunnar Henderson had two hits, including a double, for the Orioles (86-68), who have won two straight games since losing eight of 10. Baltimore entered Friday four games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East. New York plays at Oakland later Friday.

Burnes (15-8) held the Tigers to three hits and three walks while striking out eight. Danny Coulombe pitched a scoreless eighth before Detroit scored off Jacob Webb in the ninth.

The Tigers (80-74) were trying to build on their three-game sweep at Kansas City, which vaulted them into a tie with Minnesota for the AL’s final wild-card spot.

Detroit reliever Keider Montero gave up four home runs in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander was charged for five runs on seven hits and one walk. He struck out seven.

Tyler Holton (7-2), who worked the first inning in a spot start for the Tigers, gave up two runs on two hits and struck out one.

Detroit’s only hit through five innings was Trey Sweeney’s one-out single in the third.

Santander hit a two-out, two-run home run in the first inning to give the Orioles the early lead. It was similar to the last inning Thursday against San Francisco, when Santander slugged a two-run, two-out homer in the ninth for a 5-3 victory.

Cowser’s first homer on Friday came on a solo shot in the second inning for a 3-0 Baltimore lead. McCann’s two-run blast came in the fourth for a 5-0 advantage.

In the sixth, Cowser hit his 22nd home run of the season, and McCann added his seventh homer three batters later.

Sweeney singled home Spencer Torkelson with two outs in the top of the ninth.

–Field Level Media