Rays beat Orioles again, keep AL wild-card lead

Desmond Jennings drove in four runs, Alex Cobb (10-3) took a three-hit shutout into the ninth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-1, Saturday to maintain their lead in the American League wild-card race.

The first pitch came 10 hours 56 minutes after the Rays’ 5-4, 18-inning victory over Baltimore that ended at 2:05 a.m. PDT, a game that stretched on for 6:54, a record time for both teams. Saturday’s game took 2:51 to complete.

Cobb didn’t give up a hit until Steve Clevenger lined a single to right field with two outs in the fifth inning. The Orioles had only two hits over the final 11 innings Friday.

Chris Davis tripled with one out in the ninth inning and Adam Jones followed with a run-scoring single that chased Cobb, who struck out 12 batters and walked two. Closer Fernando Rodney completed the three-hitter.

Miguel Gonzalez (10-8) Gonzalez gave up three runs, two hits and five walks in six innings. The right-hander had been 2-0 with an 0.92 earned-run average in his previous three starts at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay went ahead in the fifth inning when Jose Molina and Yunel Escobar walked and, one out later, Jennings hit his career-high 14th home run.

Jennings had a run-scoring triple in the seventh inning and scored on Ben Zobrist’s single against Francisco Rodriguez.

Cubs’ Kevin Gregg apologizes for outburst

The Chicago Cubs said that Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations, accepted Kevin Gregg’s apology for a tirade to the media and the team will not release the pitcher.

Before Saturday’s game against Atlanta, Gregg says he had put the issue behind him and believes “it’s over” as far as Epstein is concerned, too.

Gregg unloaded to reporters Friday about his dissatisfaction over apparently losing his closer’s job to Pedro Strop. His outburst came after giving up four runs in the ninth inning during Chicago’s 9-5 loss to Atlanta on Friday.

After learning of Gregg’s comments, Epstein said he would consider releasing Gregg. He called Gregg on Friday night and accepted the pitcher’s apology.

Manager Dale Sveum said the Cubs will look at Strop in the closer’s role, but Gregg hasn’t lost his job.

White Sox acquire minor league pitcher from Rays

The Chicago White Sox acquired minor league pitcher Frank De Los Santos in a trade with the Rays.

De Los Santos, 25, was 1-2 with two saves and a 5.34 ERA in 26 games for triple-A Durham this season. He was on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster but has not pitched in the majors.

The Rays will receive cash or a player to be named.