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The Orioles looked like they were trying to maintain their run of walk-off wins this afternoon. Tie the game, take a lead and be tied again within the first three innings. Get in and out of jams. Pin the opposing pitcher on the ropes and let him escape.
Just get them to the ninth or past regulation, when something magic happens.
Dylan Beavers was last night’s hero with his bases-loaded single in the 10th. He delivered the go-ahead run again today, but it came from an infield hit in the seventh inning to propel the Orioles to a 3-2 win before an announced crowd of 13,957 at sunny Camden Yards.
Four of the previous five games ended with walk-off wins, but wild celebrations aren’t promised.
The Orioles (69-77) have won eight of their last nine games and nine of 11. Twelve more victories guarantee a .500 finish or better.
Today marked their seventh sweep of the season.
Thirteen of 18 home games have been decided by one run since Aug. 10. The Orioles have played 25 one-run games since the All-Star break, most in the majors.
This team is giving off 2023 vibes.
"Sure, that's fair," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "I think one-run games, it’s taking care of the baseball. We’re playing really good defense right now. It’s pitching, and then it’s good baserunning.
"We score some runs on just kind of baseball-y plays. We play defense. Baseball-y. The bullpen gets outs. It’s very baseball-y. And you add it all together and it’s three gritty wins for us against a team that had swept the Dodgers last week.”
The decisive rally began with Jackson Holliday’s leadoff single and stolen base. Colin Holderman issued an intentional walk to Gunnar Henderson with one out, Emmanuel Rivera struck out, and Beavers grounded an Evan Sisk sweeper up the middle that second baseman Nick Gonzales failed to backhand.
The bullpen was nails again with 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Keegan Akin earned the save after Kade Strowd stranded two runners in the eighth by striking out pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz. Catcher Alex Jackson threw out pinch-runner Oneill Cruz trying to steal for the final out.
Orioles relievers have registered a 1.14 ERA this month, allowing one earned run or fewer in nine consecutive games.
"Obviously, a lot of young guys down there, and I think they’ve gained a lot more experience," said Cade Povich. "They’ve kind of learned more of themselves at the big league level and they’ve done a fantastic job. So even with guys getting on, even when things maybe get a little dicey, they stay cool and are able to grind it out and keep the score down, let our offense come back in and score one. Luckily, the last couple games, it’s been enough to win."
Expectations are exceeded after such a large turnover in July.
“No doubt, once we traded away the bullpen at the deadline," Mansolino said. "You know, just a little bit of, not panic, but just a lot of unknown for me on Aug. 1, once we kind of got to that point. To see a month, a month and a half into it, and these guys kind of formulating a competitive bullpen in the big leagues in the AL East, I think we are incredibly proud of these guys. And, just proud of them.”
Strowd, a rookie, has a 1.27 ERA in 19 appearances.
"It's easy to do well when you see the guy before you do well and the guy do well after you and it follows on to the next day most of the time," he said. "Yeah, it's been a fun last month.
"Getting established is probably the hardest thing to do right now, and as I get a feel for these tighter situations and closer games, it kind of, I don’t know, shows you what you're made out of and who you are. So trying to do my best to figure that out right now.”
Povich allowed two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Mansolino removed him after 93 pitches.
“I like how he threw the ball," Mansolino said. "He navigated some traffic. I thought he got himself behind in counts maybe too often. I thought he kind of bailed himself out because he does have some good stuff and has some swing-and-miss to kind of bail himself out with runners on third, those types of situation. But when Cade’s going good, he’s getting ahead in the count and he’s keeping things simple. When Cade gets himself into trouble, he’s probably getting a little too tricky out there and he’s not trusting the fact that he’s got really good stuff.”
Povich said he felt "a little different" today.
"Usually, I kind of rely on everything with how my fastball plays," he said. "I think early on, my fastball, just locating it up where I locate it well and it plays best, wasn’t great today early on. And so really relying on what A-Jax (catcher Alex Jackson) was calling, working the changeup and the curveball, finding times to mix the sweeper in, really helped. And then, being able to go back to that fastball later in the game, I think, being able to talk to him and make that adjustment, overall helped out a lot."
The Orioles didn’t wait to go on the offensive attack today, but the damage was minimal.
Colton Cowser drew a leadoff walk against right-hander Johan Oviedo in the second inning, stole second base with two outs and scored the go-ahead run on Coby Mayo’s single into left field. Third base coach Buck Britton made the aggressive send and Cowser dived across the plate ahead of the tag.
The Pirates tied the game for a second time only one batter into the third inning, with Alexander Canario belting a 409-foot home run to left field at 111.4 mph.
Liover Peguero walked and was picked off first base. Jared Triolo followed with a triple, the ball eluding right fielder Jeremiah Jackson, but Povich struck out Tommy Pham and retired Bryan Reynolds on a ground ball.
Damage control was part of Povich’s game today. Nick Yorke led off the fifth with a double and was stranded after a strikeout, grounder and fly ball. Pham walked to begin the sixth, and Povich exited after two fly balls.
Povich had 17 swings-and-misses, one short of his career high.
"I think, really, just being in the zone with a lot of my stuff early on, I think helped out a lot," he said. "And then, getting what A-Jax called and the way he kind of set up for the location on where to throw it just kind of gave me confidence to put it in that spot and trust and understand the sequencing a little bit and why I was able to get a little more chase, a little more swing-and-miss."
Yennier Cano gave up a single to Andrew McCutchen and threw a wild pitch before Joey Bart struck out. Grant Wolfram stranded a runner in scoring position in the seventh after an infield hit and stolen base.
Both teams also tallied a run in the first inning, as they did Tuesday night. Triolo had a leadoff single and came home with two outs on Gonzales’ single before the Pirates’ second baseman was caught in a rundown. Jackson singled with one out, Henderson tied his career high with his 31st double, and Rivera’s ground ball leveled the score.
Alex Jackson drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and Mayo appeared to walk with the count 3-1, tossing his bat before hearing the strike call from plate umpire Jim Wolf. The pitch was low. Mayo was right. And he struck out two pitches later.
Holliday singled to put runners on the corners, but Jeremiah Jackson struck out and Henderson lined to right at 105 mph.
Oviedo also went 5 2/3 innings. Rivera led off the sixth with a single, Cowser walked with one out and Oviedo departed after Samuel Basallo grounded into a force. Holderman walked Alex Jackson to load the bases and Mayo popped up.
The Orioles would win another tight contest, minus the Gatorade dump.
"Obviously, we love when we’re able to go out and put up seven, eight, nine runs and blow teams out, but I think you really see the heart and the effort these guys put in in these close games," Povich said. "Obviously with the walk-offs and even today, Beavs having the go-ahead hit, as well. It just shows kind of the fight of this team, and I think it shows a lot for the future."
