Orioles lose three leads before defeating Rangers in 10 innings (updated)

The Orioles didn’t post their lineup today until the clubhouse closed to the media and manager Brandon Hyde finished his daily briefing. Much later than usual. Not the way he wants it done.

Hyde knew that Austin Hays wouldn’t play due to a sore right wrist, but he had to wait on Ryan Mountcastle, whose sinus issues restricted him to designated hitter duties yesterday, and Jorge Mateo, who was hit by a fastball on the left quadriceps to force in the winning run in the 10^th inning.

Only Mateo made it into the lineup, leaving Hyde with few healthy players on the bench.

Mateo delivered an RBI single in the second inning, stole his 20th base and raced home on Cedric Mullins’ two-run double. The leg was fine.

So, too, were the Orioles, after squandering leads of four and three runs, and watching a one-run lead disappear in the ninth.

Joey Krehbiel left the bases loaded in the top of the 10^th inning, and the Orioles had back-to-back walk-offs against Rangers left-hander Matt Moore when Mullins lined a two-out double to left-center field to score automatic runner Ryan McKenna for a 10-9 win at Camden Yards.

Moore drilled Mateo yesterday. Mountcastle pinch-hit for Mateo tonight after Robinson Chirinos popped up a bunt behind the plate, and he flied to shallow right field.

Mullins collected his third hit to go with two walks. The Orioles have won back-to-back games in walk-off fashion for the second time this season. Mullins has two career walk-off plate appearances.

"I can't say for sure, but sometimes we seemed to drop out of these games, but not this team in 2022," said Trey Mancini. "We're never out of it, I feel like, and that game was the epitome of who this team is. We never gave up, We can give up some leads at times, but we're always going to battle back.

"It was a rare game when the offense had to carry us. The pitching's done such a good job this year, so it felt good as an offense to pick them up tonight, because all those guys have done so well this year."

Mullins is batting .391/.453/.587 in his last 11 starts, with seven multi-hit games. He's 18-for-46 with six doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, six walks and eight runs scored.

"I think for the last two or three weeks Ced has looked like the confidence is back," Hyde said. "It's on time with the fastball for Ced with me. A left-on-left heater and slicing it into left-center in a big spot, he goes deep last night, he had three hits tonight, two walks. I've talked to him about that a lot, taking his walks, table setting. What he did last year, was a really, really tough at-bat."

"Just feeling more comfortable in the box," Mullins said. "I dedicate that to the work I've done in the cage with (Ryan) Fuller and Borg (Matt Borgschulte) every day, trying to get comfortable, trying to make adjustments in certain places, and it's showing.

"It's a huge confidence booster, and I think it's just putting better swings on the ball more consistently. That's been my main focus and it's showing on the field."

McKenna led off the bottom of the eighth inning with his first home run since last September to break a 7-7 tie, but Marcus Semien beat Rougned Odor's throw to first base with one out in the ninth and Corey Seager sent Félix Bautista's 100 mph fastball over the center field fence.

"I'm really proud of Mac," Hyde said. "He wasn't in the lineup until about two hours before the game. He comes to play every day. When he's not in the lineup, he has followed suit with some of our veteran guys where he is unbelievably into the game, he is incredibly supportive, he's ready to pinch-hit, he's ready to pinch-run, he's ready to play defense every single night. He's preparing like a pro. He's becoming a pro. That's been fun to watch a young player turn into a big leaguer and how he's going about his business, and it pays off tonight."

Bautista hadn't allowed an earned run in his last 20 appearances.

"Honestly, I don't understand how he could ever give up a run," Krehbiel said. "His stuff is incredible. He brings 100-102 every night, and for him to give up a run is bizarre, but it's going to happen. But for him, it rarely happens."

Down to their last out in the bottom of the ninth, the Orioles pulled even again on Odor’s home run off Joe Barlow. Odor stood at home plate and admired its flight to right-center field, striking big against his former club.

"You can't really say enough about him, the energy he brings every single day," Mancini said. "He's the same person. You would never know if things are going good or bad for him, and I think that's one of the best qualities a baseball player can have. He just brings such a good energy, such a good presence, and makes everybody around him better. He's been amazing for us this year."

"Misplayed a ball a little bit in the top half of that inning and I know he was disappointed in how that went," Hyde said. "For him to regroup and get a homer there ... Roogie is a warrior and he's inspirational and he's got energy and he loves to play. He's a tough dude. Big hit for us again.

"He comes to play. He is all about winning, and to have our young guys be around him and Robby that are 100 percent about winning, where we've been the last few years, and the positive talk in the dugout from both of those guys, the encouraging ... Even after Robby missed the bunt, he's on the top step encouraging Mountcastle, encouraging Ced. So, you hear those two guys in the dugout all game long. And we haven't had that, we haven't had veteran-type guys that have been around winning teams, honestly, and know what it feels like. And some things aren't acceptable. They're just gamers, and it's a pleasure to have both of them."

Krehbiel sensed that Odor would come through in the clutch despite the dire circumstances.

"I was going to go in if we had tied before the inning I pitched, and we get two kind of quick outs and I just see Roogie walking up there looking like he was locked in. I just started throwing, and two pitches later, he hits a homer," Krehbiel said. "You never know, but you can get a feeling."

McKenna cleared the left field wall against John King, raising his arm in the air as he rounded first base, and the Orioles eventually would improve to 38-44 overall and 20-17 at home. They claimed their 11^th series, including a victory over the Cubs in Baltimore that was followed by a postponement.

The 38^th win last year came in their 105^th game on Aug. 2. They lost the next 19.

"It's been really fun," Mancini said. "I'm not sure what the next few weeks have in store (with the trade deadline) exactly, but I know I'm just having fun. Just trying to enjoy every day with these guys. This year has been a breath of fresh air, and no matter what happens, I'm really proud of this group and the way that we progressed and played this year. It's been really, really fun and special to be a part of."

Mitch Garver hit a game-tying home run off Keegan Akin leading off the top of the seventh, but Mullins walked against Dennis Santana in the bottom half, Mancini reached on an infield hit and Anthony Santander lined a 96 mph sinker into right field to break a 4-4 tie.

Ramón Urías, in his first start since leaving the injured list, singled to score two more, but Nick Vespi inherited two runners from Dillon Tate with two outs in the eighth, and Norfolk native Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run homer for a 7-7 tie.

King’s third pitch of the night swung the game in the Orioles’ favor again, and Vespi was in line for the win, with Bautista trying for his third save, the others coming in St. Louis. But no lead was safe tonight.

Krehbiel retired Josh H. Smith on a fly ball to Mullins to keep the bases filled. He struck out Steven Duggar before the at-bat.

"That's what we're looking for," he said. "We want the game to be tight. That's what we're usually coming in to do. It's a little more pressure, obviously, someone out there, but we've still got to make our pitches."

Austin Voth left after 4 1/3 innings with the bases loaded and no runs allowed. All three runners scored after Akin replaced him.

Voth hadn’t completed four innings since Sept. 27, 2020 with the Nationals. His night ended after three consecutive singles, and Smith’s sacrifice fly and singles by Semien and Seager reduced the lead to 4-3. Semien’s ball struck third base and took a high hop.

Former Orioles minor league catcher Jonah Heim singled with two outs in the second inning, Lowe walked and Voth retired the next eight batters. Lowe singled with one out in the fifth, and two more followed.

We’d hear from him again.

Voth worked three innings in each of his last two starts, topping out at 62 pitches Wednesday afternoon in Seattle. Hyde was hoping that the right-hander could venture into the middle of the game, in the 75-pitch range, because he was down a couple of relievers.

After 16- and 22-pitch innings, Voth needed only six in the third and fourth while retiring the side in order. He was done after 65.

Garver hit a fly ball in the seventh that landed on the flag court for a 4-4 tie.

The bullpen's had better days.

"We've been nails all year, and for us to have a couple bad games, if we spread that out over the course of the season, no one would even ask the question," Krehbiel said. "It's just a thing we're going through and I'm sure it will be gone by tomorrow."

The Orioles failed to score in the first inning after Mullins walked and was picked off, and Santander reached with two outs on his first career bunt single. Urías led off the second with a single, took third base on McKenna’s single and scored with two outs on Mateo’s single into right field.

Mullins and Mancini followed with back-to-back doubles off Rangers starter Spencer Howard for a 4-0 lead.

Lots of aggressive baserunning in the inning, with Urías and McKenna going first to third and Mateo swiping his 20^th base in 23 attempts.

Leads would disappear just as quickly.

"We've been great out of the bullpen this year, and you're going to have some nights when you're not your best," Hyde said. "Tonight, we weren't our best out of the 'pen, but we picked it up offensively and slugged. And we scored 10 runs tonight. I don't know how many times we've done that. Happy with our offense and battling back after some tough defensive innings.

"We haven't had many gut punches from the bullpen, honestly, we've had here the last three or four days. Our bullpen has been lights out, stranding inherited runners and getting big outs in big spots against AL East-type teams. Tonight it just didn't happen. ... For our guys, we're winning the game, we feel good about our bullpen, and then for it to not happen, but to be able to bang with them, to take the lead, it says a lot about our character."

"Just continuing to grind," Mullins said. "There's no quit in any of us. We have the mindset of coming in to win every day, whatever that takes, whatever that means. Today was a battle back-and-forth all night and we were able to come out on top."