BALTIMORE -- The Tampa Bay Rays are doing a good job of creating some separation between themselves and the Baltimore Orioles, while at the same time tracking down the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. Even though its not September yet, the Rays dont intend to wait around to make their run at the top. Alex Cobb took a two-hitter into the seventh inning, Matt Joyce drove in three runs and Tampa Bay beat the Orioles 7-4 Tuesday night for its sixth win in seven games. Wil Myers had two hits and two RBIs for the Rays, who are percentage points ahead of Boston in the AL East after the Red Sox lost to the Giants later Tuesday night. Tampa Bay has won the first two games of this series between AL East rivals and can complete a sweep Wednesday night. "Its very big for where were at in the division and the fact were chasing the Red Sox a little bit and also trying to create some distance, because we know the Os and the Yankees are very capable and very tough competitors," said Ben Zobrist, who had two hits and an RBI. "We dont anticipate it being any sort of easy road to the end of September and weve got to battle. This is two great wins for us to start off." The Orioles, on the other hand, have lost six of eight and are in danger of being overtaken by the surging Yankees. "Its not the position we would prefer to find ourselves in after the first two games of the series, thats for sure, but theres still plenty of baseball left for us to make up some ground," said Nate McLouth, who went 0 for 5. "Its not ideal at all, but we wont let this game affect (Wednesdays) game." Cobb (8-2) was making his second start since being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Kansas Citys Eric Hosmer on June 15. The right-hander allowed two runs, one earned, three hits and four walks in six-plus innings to win his fifth straight decision. "The curveball really helped me out early on," Cobb said. "My changeup started working a little bit so I established that I was going to throw in and out with the fastball early and I got them to expand the zone a few times with my off-speed pitches." Cobb left after Baltimore used two walks and a single to load the bases with no outs in the seventh. Alex Torres got Brian Roberts to hit into a run-scoring double play before striking out McLouth to keep the Rays ahead 3-2. "They brought in that lefty with that really good changeup to come in and do exactly what he did and thats why theyre such a tough team," McLouth said. "Because they can make life pretty tough on you." Joyce doubled in two runs in the ninth off T.J. McFarland and Myers added a broken-bat, two-run single off Jim Johnson. Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer in the bottom half before Fernando Rodney entered and got three outs for his 29th save. Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez (8-6) gave up three runs, two earned, eight hits and four walks in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander is 0-3 in five starts since July 20. One night after getting 15 hits in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay, Baltimore managed only five hits, four of them singles. "We didnt get any hits. Thats obvious," manager Buck Showalter said. "If you want to look for a reason, I personally look at Cobb, who was tough. We didnt do much off him tonight. I think that was it in a nutshell." The Rays have won seven of eight against the Orioles to take an 8-5 lead in the season series. The two teams with the fewest errors in the majors each gave up an unearned run in the second inning. In the top half, Joyce walked, advanced on an errant pickoff throw by Gonzalez and scored on a two-out bloop by Yunel Escobar. Baltimore tied it when Evan Longoria muffed a grounder and Flaherty singled in a run with two outs. Tampa Bay went up 3-1 in the third. After Desmond Jennings walked and scored on a double by Zobrist, Longoria singled and Joyce delivered a sacrifice fly. Gonzalez worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by getting James Loney to bounce into a double play. NOTES: Zobrist moved into a fifth-place tie with B.J. Upton on the teams career RBI list with 447. Aubrey Huff is in fourth with 449. ... Jeremy Hellickson, whos 8-3 lifetime against Baltimore, starts for Tampa Bay in the series finale Wednesday night. LH Wei-Yin Chen will pitch for Baltimore. ... The Orioles had won five straight over the Rays with Gonzalez as the starter. ... McLouth is hitless in his last 17 at-bats. Presnel Kimpembe France Jersey . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. France Jerseys . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. http://www.nationalfrancesoccer.com/hugo-lloris-france-jersey/ . Signs of a turnaround have emerged in this series at Minnesota. Brian Roberts had three doubles and a triple for the first four-extra-base-hit game of his 14-year career, and the Yankees used their bullpen to preserve a 6-5 win over the Twins on Friday. Kylian Mbappe Jersey .com) - The Calgary Flames were again involved in a game in which a team was held scoreless, only this time they came out on the winning side. France Blank Jerseys . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins.HARRISON, N.J. -- With replacement referees handling the games, there was bound to be some controversy in Major League Soccer this season. It happened in Week 2. Vicente Sanchez scored on a penalty kick in the 72rd minute after a questionable decision by the substitute referee and the Colorado Rapids and new coach Pablo Mastroeni opened their season with a 1-1 tie with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Substitute referee Alan Kelly awarded the penalty kick after defender Jamison Olave used his chest to knock a much smaller Marvin Chavez to the grass as he took a pass from Sanchez. "If its against you its a tough call," Mastroeni said. "If its for you, you are OK with it. I think referees are out of our control." The substitute referees are working the games because the Professional Referee Organization, which manages on-field officials for Major League Soccer, has locked out officials from the Professional Soccer Referees Association. The two sides have failed to reach agreement on a contract after the officials formed a union last year. Kelly told a pool reporter that Olave challenged Chavez from behind and initiated the contact, a decision that brought boos from the crowd of 20,542 at Red Bull Arena who earlier had thought that Thierry Henrys 57th-minute goal would be the winner. "I dont mean to be blunt, but in terms of the questions thats the straight forward answers I can give," Kelly said. Red Bulls coach Mike Petke didnt like the decision but he wasnt going to draw a fine from the league by criticizing it. "Listen, its the game," Petke said. "I mean what am I going to say about the penalty kick? Perhaps if the guy was Olaves size he would not have gone down like that. I dont know? Olave looked to step up and stand his ground and keep him in front of him and got him. The referee made a decision. Its unfortunate for us, fortunate for Colorado. You get away from it, move on from it." The 6-foot-3 and 210-pound Olave, who seemed shocked by the call, left the locker room and was not available for comment.dddddddddddd Sanchez deposited the kick from the spot into the right corner of the net. Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles did not have a chance to stop it. "I spoke to the ref afterward and he said, He was too physical coming from behind him," Robles said. "I have to respect that." The Red Bulls, the defending Supporters Shield trophy winners, were trying to bounce back from a dismal season-opening performance in 4-1 loss at Vancouver last weekend. Henry, who did not play in the season opener because it was on an artificial surface, headed a brilliant crossing pass by Lloyd Sam under rookie goalkeeper John Berner. It was his 42nd goal for the Red Bulls, second on the career list behind Juan Pablo Angel (58). "There is no panic," Henry said about the slow start. "We have to go back to the film this week and do better because it obviously was not enough to win the game today." He had no comment on the referees decision. New York had two chances to win in the five minutes of injury time. Eric Alexander was wide with a shot in the box and Berner, who played last season at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, made a diving save on another header by Henry. "To say I wasnt on the edge of my seat of out, if not out of it, would be an understatement," said Mastroeni, who played 11-plus seasons with the Rapids and returned after last season with several club records, including most games played. "Thats the beauty of the game. It can all come down to the last minute, the last second, thats why its exciting." Robles had kept the Red Bulls in the game in the first half, making five saves, including a finger-tip stop on a 35-yard shot by Nick LaBrocca that caught the goalkeeper a little too far off his line. Mastroeni was named the Rapids head coach last week, replacing Oscar Pareja, who left in January to take the same job with his former club, FC Dallas. Mastroeni was in charge of the squad through the preseason. ' ' '