Ben Zobrist had three hits and three RBIs to back 7 2/3 strong innings from Jeff Niemann as the surging Tampa Bay Rays extended their winning streak to five with a 5-2 win over the host Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

Niemann (10-7) snapped a two-game losing streak and notched double-digit victories for the third straight season to help the Rays close within three games of idle Boston in the AL wild-card race.

Zobrist had a two-run double in the first and a run-scoring single in the seventh, giving him eight RBIs in his current six-game hitting streak. It was Zobrist's 45th double, tying Kansas City's Alex Gordon for the major-league lead.

B.J. Upton had a pair of doubles and scored twice to help Tampa Bay to its eighth victory in nine games. He had reached base in nine straight at-bats before striking out in the eighth. Joel Peralta struck out the side in the ninth for his third save.

Orioles rookie lefthander Zach Britton (9-10) had his three-game winning streak snapped, allowing four runs in five innings.

Baltimore’s Matt Wieters ended a 1-for-18 skid with a solo homer, his 18th of the season and seventh in his last 18 games.