BALTIMORE -- It began with Tyler O'Neill, who had inquired about the availability of orange stirrups and white socks in the clubhouse and began putting them on shortly before Saturday’s first pitch at Camden Yards. Then, his Orioles teammates all started to follow suit.
Before too long, nearly every player had donned the stirrups and was ready to play in their matching footwear -- except Samuel Basallo, who was late to the party.
A clubhouse attendant found a pair of pants that would work for Basallo, and then he borrowed the stirrups that had been taken by right-hander Kyle Bradish. It was a bit of a snug fit for the 22-year-old rookie, but it would work.
“The pants were a little tight on me,” a smiling Basallo said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones.
That wouldn’t be an issue.
Basallo -- tight pants, stirrups and all -- came off the bench to deliver a clutch game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Then, the O’s went on to record a 3-2 victory over the Rays, winning on Dylan Beavers’ walk-off RBI double in the 10th.
Maybe it was all the magic of the stirrups.
“They're sick. I loved it. I had no idea they were doing it,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “So I saw the stirrups, and I was like, ‘Oh, Pete [Alonso] is going stirrups.' And then, [Christian Encarnacion-Strand] came out with stirrups. And then, I realized that the whole team was coming out. ... I liked it out there. Guys looked good.”
The guys played pretty well in them, too. That is, once Basallo got the offense kick-started.
Baltimore trailed, 2-0, heading to the bottom of the eighth, when Jackson Holliday led off the inning with a single. After Alonso struck out, the O’s sent Basallo to the plate to face right-hander Kevin Kelly in a pivotal moment.
Basallo had played three days in a row upon coming off the injured list on Wednesday, after he had missed the previous month due to right shoulder inflammation. But the Orioles -- who are among the best pinch-hitting teams in baseball this season -- seem to always get the most of the players on their bench.
“When I’m not starting, I’m in the cage about 24/7, doing whatever I can to stay focused, to stay ready,” Basallo said. “Not trying to throw that day away. Doing whatever I can do to stay prepared in the cage.”
Facing Basallo, Kelly tried to come inside a bit with a 2-0 changeup. But Basallo connected with the offering and powered it a Statcast-projected 411 feet over the center-field wall to tie the game at 2.
“He’s nuts. I’ve seen him hit balls as hard as anybody,” Beavers said. “I haven’t really played with anybody else that can hit the ball like that. It’s always fun to watch, and you almost kind of expect it.”
From there, the O’s made one big play after the next.
O’Neill kept the game tied with a diving catch in right field to end the top of the ninth, robbing Richie Palacios of what would have been a go-ahead RBI single. Then, right-hander Rico Garcia worked a scoreless top of the 10th, making a stellar defensive play of his own by fielding a bunt attempt from Taylor Walls and nabbing Palacios at the plate for the second out.
With the contest still tied entering the bottom of the 10th, Tampa Bay turned to All-Star closer (and former Baltimore reliever) Bryan Baker. But the O’s turned to Beavers, who has shown a knack for coming through in these types of moments.
Could Beavers have bunted Leody Taveras, the automatic runner, over to third base? Sure. But Albernaz told the 25-year-old outfielder he had permission to swing, as long as he attempted to pull the ball so that Taveras would at least move over no matter what.
Beavers did more than that, driving a low, 2-2 changeup to deep right field to end the game. It marked the Orioles’ MLB-high 34th pinch-hit RBI of the year.
It was also Beavers’ fourth walk-off RBI of his 110-game big league career.
“He’s so talented, and I think everybody in this room knows it,” Basallo said. “I’m happy that everybody else is able to see it now. But there’s no question of how talented he is, and we’re all so happy for him.”
The O’s (63-67) have won eight of their past nine meetings with the Rays. They took three of four at Tropicana Field last weekend and will go for another series win Sunday afternoon.
Baltimore is now one game back of the third American League Wild Card spot and aims to make a postseason push over its final 32 games.
“We’re in the Wild Card race, and we’re trying to win every game we can,” Beavers said. “We’ve faced a good bit of adversity, and I think we all have belief that we can have success. So, just trying to build momentum and go on a run here.”
Maybe more games wearing stirrups will help.
“If the team wants to do it again tomorrow,” Basallo said, “we’ll do it.”