Orioles jump Rays for AL East lead ahead of huge 4-game set at the Trop

There's a new face atop the American League East.

Thanks to their 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays' 5-1 loss at Texas on Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles leapfrogged the Rays to take sole possession of top spot in the AL East for the first time this year.

Although the Rays' 60 wins are still the most among AL teams and two more than the Orioles, Baltimore's in first by virtue of having two fewer losses (37) and a superior winning percentage (.611 to .606). The Rays do have four games in hand.

Sliding to No. 1 in the AL East is a milestone moment for an Orioles franchise that's orchestrated a remarkable turnaround following several painful rebuilding years. This marks the first time since 2016 - the year of their most recent playoff appearance - the O's have held first place in the season's second half, according to ESPN Stats & Info. They last won the division in 2014 and have finished first just twice during the wild-card era.

Baltimore surged to the top of the division behind a red-hot run to begin July. Manager Brandon Hyde's club has gone 10-5 this month while winning eight of its last 10 games.

The Orioles also haven't been swept in a series this year. And thanks to Wednesday's win, Baltimore became the eighth team in history to avoid being swept in 70 consecutive multi-game series, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. The streak dates back to May 2022 and is two series short of tying the expansion-era (since 1961) record.

The picture isn't as rosy for the Rays, who entered July with a 6.5-game lead atop the division. Tampa Bay roared out of the gate and built up a nice cushion, compiling a record-tying 13-game winning streak to start the season. But the Rays have lost 11 of 14 contests this month and are mired in a four-game losing streak.

This is the first time Tampa hasn't held at least a share of first place in the AL East all year. The last time the club was even tied for first was on March 31, the second day of the season, when four teams in the division shared a 1-0 record.

The dramatic shift atop the AL East standings comes as the Orioles and Rays get set for a critical four-game series this weekend at Tropicana Field. Baltimore's Kyle Gibson is scheduled to face Tampa Bay right-hander Tyler Glasnow in the series opener at 6:40 p.m. ET Thursday.