BALTIMORE -- For the third time in seven days, the Orioles orchestrated a walk-off win at Camden Yards on Saturday evening. And this one featured quite a late comeback.
Baltimore rallied for five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure a 6-5 victory over Toronto, winning it on Pete Alonso’s game-ending RBI single. The O’s (27-32) bounced back after dropping the first two games of the series and will look to earn a split of the four-game set in Sunday’s finale.
The Blue Jays had a 5-1 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, when they sent right-hander Jeff Hoffman to the mound. After striking out Samuel Basallo to open the inning, Hoffman hit Coby Mayo with a pitch with one out. Leody Taveras then followed with an RBI triple.
Taveras’ three-bagger was immediately followed by an RBI single from Jackson Holliday. The rally continued with a double by Colton Cowser and a walk to Taylor Ward, and then Gunnar Henderson drew a bases-loaded walk to cut Toronto’s lead to 5-4.
At that point, the Blue Jays replaced Hoffman with right-hander Connor Seabold. And Seabold promptly walked Adley Rutschman with the bases full to tie the game at 5.
Alonso then delivered his first walk-off hit of the season (his first with the Orioles) by knocking a single into right-center field. It was the 31-year-old slugger’s first bases-loaded hit of the season, as he was previously 0-for-8 in such situations this year.
The Orioles’ season-long 10-game homestand has been filled with thrilling finishes. On Sunday, they notched a 5-3 victory in the opener of a doubleheader vs. the Tigers when Cowser hit a walk-off three-run homer in the ninth. The next day, Cowser hit a walk-off two-run home run in a 9-7, 13-inning win over the Rays.