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The Orioles turned on the power at closing time.
Fans stood and cheered Orioles left-hander Cade Povich this afternoon as he walked off the mound for the last time in 2025. The game didn’t turn out as he wanted. The effort and ability to make 20 starts, along with two relief appearances, seemed to be appreciated. A kind gesture from the crowd.
The place erupted on Coby Mayo’s game-tying two-run homer in the eighth, and again in the ninth when Dylan Beavers demolished Kevin Kelly's first-pitch cutter and reached the flag court. Both appreciated and celebrated with gusto. The ballpark came alive, absolutely electric, with placement in the division standings irrelevant.
Beavers' walk-off homer gave the Orioles a 6-5 win over the Rays before an announced crowd of 16,777 at Camden Yards, which brought the season total to 1,803,655. The ball left his bat at 107.7 mph, he took a few steps toward first base and flipped the lumber so high he could have brought rain.
A teammate tossed him a Ravens helmet before he touched home plate. Beavers scored the game-winner and didn't fumble his opportunity.
“It was incredible," he said. "I kind of blacked out. I hit it, and then I really don’t remember until they threw me that helmet, the Ravens helmet, but it was awesome.”
Ryan Mountcastle homered, drove in two runs and reached base four times, and the Orioles won the series, raised their record to 75-84 and kept alive the chance to avoid a last-place finish with a three-game series remaining in New York. They went 39-42 at home this season.
"To come back down, whatever it was, four, five, really nice win for us and super happy for Beavs," Mountcastle said. "That was a really cool moment for him. Yeah, Coby hitting the two-run homer was huge for us, too. Really good win and a lot of fun."
"I’m right there with you guys (media)," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "I joke with you all right there about having to change the headline at the end, I’m not so sure I saw that thing going that way. I mean, I don’t think I was super positive on the inside right there in the eighth and ninth innings by any means, so it’s nice to see the fellows kind of battle back. And you know, big swing by Coby right there.
"That was his 10th homer, which I thought was a significant number for him considering first time in the big leagues, part-time playing the first month and a half into full time playing. It’s a very quiet 10 home runs for him. So I thought that was nice, and obviously Beavs, even though things are ticking down for him in a sense on the scoreboard with the numbers, you still feel like he’s going to do something every at-bat."
Mayo jumped on the first pitch from reliever Kelly, a sinker that traveled 413 feet to left field at 107.6 mph for his 10th homer. Kelly entered after Mountcastle scored on Jesse Scholtens’ wild pitch. Jeremiah Jackson singled to aid the rally.
A hot stretch continues for Mayo, who has a hit in 10 of his last 12 games with an at-bat, going 15-for-38 (.395) with two doubles, three homers, six RBIs and six walks.
"He's been great," Mountcastle said of Mayo. "Defensively, he's made really good strides, he looks really good out there. Offensively, too. So super happy for him and his development and wish him nothing but the best."
"We have been as steady on him as anybody in this building," Mansolino said. "I feel like we have not rode the wave. I feel like we stayed the course with him. I think we know he's going to be a good hitter, and I think we know it's going to take a little bit of time, and I think we know there's going to be really good moments. So I still see Coby as a guy that’s going to be an impact hitter at some point in the game.
"I would love for it to be tomorrow. I think we all would. But I think the reality is, for most hitters in this league, that's not necessarily how it goes."
Adley Rutschman came off the bench in the eighth, tripled to right field and was stranded, but Beavers delivered his second career walk-off hit.
“It was awesome, especially going down early," Beavers said. "We battled back. We didn’t roll over. We kept fighting in that game. Coby had that huge swing to put us back in it. It was awesome sending the fans back home with something good.”
Every outing is an education for Povich, who will vie for a spot in next year’s rotation. He rode the highs and lows, holding on tightly, and is aiming for more consistency in the future.
Povich was charged with five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. The last run charged to him scored after he exited. Bob Seymour had an RBI single off Yaramil Hiraldo. Tristan Gray’s run-scoring double led to Povich’s removal at 99 pitches.
Povich finishes his sophomore season with a 5.21 ERA in 112 1/3 innings. He went on the injured list June 16 with left hip inflammation and returned Aug. 4.
“I think there were some times where I showed some really good things and maybe showed what I have or what I could have, but at this level, just showing flashes or showing things here and there isn’t gonna be good enough," he said. "So I think just try to figure out what those are, try to take away from this year, take some time to reflect on the season, what I did well, why the things that didn’t go great didn’t go great. Just try to build a consistency toward the side of those flashes, make them consistent and make them not flashes. Make them who I am.
"Obviously, I had a little bump in the road but got that all cleaned up, finished the year healthy. Didn’t necessarily finish the way I wanted to, but I’m glad I got out of it healthy going into the offseason, where I really know what I need to do and I’m able to do that right away.”
The Orioles were no-hit for six innings last night, but they created rallies today in the first two innings.
Gunnar Henderson was thrown out at third base in the first inning while attempting his 30th steal. He singled with two outs and Mountcastle reached on an error.
Jackson doubled and Colton Cowser and Mayo walked to load the bases with no outs in the second, but the next two batters struck out and Beavers lined a full-count fastball to Seymour at first base.
Shortening up their starters was a Tampa Bay strategy in the series. Drew Rasmussen was removed after 2 1/3 scoreless innings and 57 pitches. Scholtens replaced him, and Mountcastle homered onto the flag court with two outs.
Mountcastle ignored the left field wall in the third. Maybe it’s better that way. The home run was his seventh of the season, and social media speculation centered on whether it could be his last with the Orioles. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility and they have Mayo and Samuel Basallo.
"You never know what's going to happen," Mountcastle said. "Would love to come back. If it is my last game, I had a lot of fun here. If not, I'm super excited, I love all these guys, they're my family.
"They drafted me, they took a chance on me, and it means everything. Played with a lot of these guys for a while, and like I said, they've become family to me. Really love being here."
Mansolino also has an uncertain future in Baltimore, but he didn't soak in the atmosphere today.
"That's not how I am," he said. "That's not really my personality. I think I'm pretty cut and dry on those types of things. So, and again, I grew up in this business, so I understand how this business goes, and I watched it with my dad and I've lived it. So I appreciate everything here, and however this whole thing plays out, nothing but good things here. In terms of being, that feeling right there, that's not really significant to me.”
The next RBI for Mountcastle came in the fifth inning against Scholtens after Beavers walked and Henderson singled. Mountcastle went to right field again with a single.
The Rays loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third, including Junior Caminero’s single at 111.3 mph, and didn’t waste the opportunity. Christopher Morel doubled on a first-pitch changeup and Richie Palacios lifted a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead, before the Orioles began chipping away at it.
The sixth inning provided some space for the Rays, but more was needed. Gray was denied a second RBI when Jorge Mateo took the throw from Jackson in right field nabbed Carson Williams at the plate.
Tampa Bay loaded the bases again with no outs in the eighth, this time against Rico Garcia, and he escaped the jam. Garcia did the same in the eighth inning in Boston, but he inherited that mess and struck out three. He fanned two today and got the last out on a line drive.
Again, it proved to be a crucial part of the game with what came next.
"Shout out to the boys for staying in there, competing, watching that eighth inning and then watching Beavers walk it off," Povich said. "We’ve got a lot of young talent and I think down the stretch we really learned to continue to compete, continue to fight. And I think this being a young team and us kind of finding that late in the season will be huge going into these last few games going into the offseason and heading into next year.”
“I don’t think I’ve been part of a team that had so much determination, even when we’re behind," Beavers said. "Close games, where every guy is trying to get the job done and no matter what the score is. We were down a good few runs today and nobody's mailing it in. We’re trying to win until the last pitch is thrown.”
* Rutschman is the fourth Oriole with multiple career pinch-hit triples, joining Bob Boyd (four), Harold Baines (two) and Dave Pope (two).
* The Orioles brought back Carson Ragsdale, claiming the right-hander on waivers from the Braves and optioning him to the spring training complex. Right-hander Dom Hamel was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Hamel was claimed from the Mets on Saturday and optioned.
* With the Orioles moving the press box location, they invited former public relations director Bill Stetka to announce the game and season attendance. Stetka currently serves as Orioles alumni director.
