DENVER -- Colton Cowser made a spectacular leaping catch above the center-field fence for the final out, robbing Jake McCarthy of a game-winning homer and preserving the Baltimore Orioles' 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
"That's the best play I've ever seen in person," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said.
With a runner on second base and two outs in the ninth inning, McCarthy sent a drive to deep center. Cowser raced back and jumped, spreading his legs wide as he banged into the wall and pulled back the ball in his outstretched glove from well above and behind the fence to the right of the 415-foot sign.
After hanging on as he crash-landed onto the warning track, Cowser pumped his arms and shouted in excitement before celebrating with teammates.
"I don't know if I can put it in PG," Albernaz said about what he said in the dugout. "I use the word 'tight' every time someone makes a really good play out there, that's what we say. There were some other expletives going on in there, and rightfully so."
"I could kind of tell off the bat Cowser had a really good bead on it," said Andrew Kittredge, who earned his ninth save. "But I didn't think he was going to make a play like that."
"Situation and probably level of difficulty, yes," Cowser said about whether it was the catch of his life. "But I had one still, it was in Triple A in Norfolk on a 10-foot wall that I was able to rob. So, but that one was -- this one was better, for sure."
Cade Povich pitched five solid innings and Cowser drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh following a 98-minute rain delay at Coors Field.
"Incredible. Gutsy," Povich said of Cowser's catch. "To go up and make the grab, it's just one of those plays that, if you see it in person, it's special."
"That was a hell of a play," McCarthy said. "That was crazy, obviously, the situation, just how difficult that play is. So, that stinks. But I respect it. Great play."
Baltimore (69-69) has won four straight and six of seven to reach .500 for the first time since taking the first game of a doubleheader against Houston 10-3 on April 30. The surging Orioles moved within a half-game of idle Cleveland in the crowded chase for the last American League wild card.
The Rockies have lost five in a row overall and a franchise-record 10 straight at home, the longest home losing streak in the majors this season.
Play was paused between the fifth and sixth due to heavy rain and lightning.
Blaze Alexander walked to load the bases with one out in the seventh before Cowser grounded into a fielder's choice that gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead. Cowser was initially ruled out at first base for an inning-ending double play, but the call was challenged by the Orioles and overturned.
Grant Wolfram (6-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win.
Povich allowed five hits and one run.
Following the rain delay, Mark Manfredi (1-1) replaced Rockies starter Tanner Gordon, who allowed one run in five innings. Manfredi walked three and gave up one run in 1⅓ innings.
Dylan Beavers hit a leadoff double in the Baltimore fifth and scored two pitches later when Samuel Basallo hit a towering double off the wall in right-center.
Hunter Goodman doubled leading off the fourth for Colorado and scored on a two-out single by Jordan Beck to make it 1-0.
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
