Cruz slam ties it, O's win on walk-off wild pitch in 12th

A night of frustration on offense for the Orioles ended with one big swing in the last of the eighth tonight. A Nelson Cruz grand slam tied the game against Chicago at 4-4.

It took a bit longer to win it but the Orioles did that. David Lough scored from third on a Daniel Webb wild pitch in the last of the 12th as the Orioles won it 5-4.

Catcher Nick Hundley led off the 12th with a walk and Lough came in to pinch-run. Nick Markakis singled to right-center and Lough advanced to third with no outs. With Steve Pearce batting, Webb threw a wild pitch and Lough charged down the line with the winning run.

It's the Orioles' sixth walk-off win of the year and second in this series. With the win, the Orioles are 1 1/2 games behind American League East-leading Toronto.

The game was halted by a rain delay that started right after the bottom of the ninth and lasted for 69 minutes.

The O's headed to the last of the eighth down 4-0. They had just four hits, with no runners getting as far as second base through the sixth, and then had three singles but could not score in the seventh.

But the eighth began with two singles off Chicago starter Hector Noesi, who then was replaced by Zach Putnam. He got two quick outs, but Scott Downs then came on and Chris Davis walked. Right-hander Javy Guerra came in to face Cruz.

Cruz hit a 95 mph fastball out to right-center on a 2-1 pitch and Camden Yards came to life as he tied the game on one swing. It was Cruz's 24th homer of the season. It was his eighth career grand slam and second this year.

According to ESPN Stats and Info, Cruz is the second player this season to hit a game-tying grand slam in the eighth inning or later. Mike Trout is the other and he also did it against the White Sox.

The Cruz slam came too late for Ubaldo Jimenez, who go no run support tonight, but it did take him off the hook for a loss. Jimenez went 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs. He walked two and fanned six, throwing 100 pitches. Jimenez is winless at home this year, going 0-6 over eight starts.

Jose Abreu's 23rd homer made it 1-0 Chicago in the fourth. An Adam Eaton RBI triple made it 2-0 in the fifth and a two-run single by Tyler Flowers in the seventh extended the lead to 4-0.

The Orioles are off tomorrow and will host Tampa Bay on Friday in a day-night doubleheader to start a four-game weekend series.