There’s been plenty to criticize this season, but nobody can question Baltimore’s ability to find the right bat at the right time. The Orioles offense went scoreless for seven innings before Samuel Basallo delivered a pinch-hit, game-tying homer in the eighth. The bullpen did its part, and Dylan Beavers came off the bench to walk it off in the bottom of the 10th. The late-inning heroics propelled Baltimore to a 3-2 victory and another series win over the first-place Rays.
Before the fireworks, Brandon
Young gave the Orioles a chance to win the game. Young didn’t have his best stuff, but he fared better than his performance against Tampa last week. The righty allowed the first two batters of the game to reach before generating a pop out and an inning-ending double play.
Liam Hicks took him deep to start the second inning, but Young used another twin-killing to escape the frame with only one run allowed. The 28-year-old went on to retire the next eight batters that he faced. Cedric Mullins worked a two-out walk in the fifth, but Carlos Narváez nabbed Mullins attempting to steal second.
The Rays clung to the one-run lead before doubling their advantage in the sixth. Young walked Taylor Walls to start the frame. Yandy Díaz followed with a single to right, but Tyler O’Neill fired a strike to third that caught Walls attempting to take an extra 90 feet. Young retired Jonathan Aranda for the second out, but he failed to escape the inning unscathed. Chandler Simpson advanced Díaz with an infield single, and Junior Caminero drove him in with a base hit up the middle. Young left after 5.2 innings, and Josh Walker retired Ryan Vilade to end the frame.
Baltimore threatened a couple of times but struggled early to find the big hit. Coby Mayo delivered a double with Pete Alonso running in the first. Alonso may have scored if he followed the ball, but he slid into second before realizing that Mayo had made contact. Alonso made it to third base with less than two outs, but he declined to break home on a shallow fly ball by Tyler O’Neill. Gunnar Henderson struck out to end the inning.
Mayo and Alonso found their way into scoring position again in the third, but O’Neill flew out to end the threat.
The Orioles finally broke through in the eighth inning. Jackson Holliday turned a Kevin Kelly sinker around for a leadoff base hit. Kelly struck out Alonso with a high fastball for the first out, but Craig Albernaz pushed the right button once again. Albernaz sent out Basallo to pinch hit for Mayo, and the rookie tied the game with one swing of the bat. Basallo worked ahead in the count before sending a sinker 411 feet from home plate. The ball cleared a jumping Mullins, and Baltimore found its way into a brand new ball game.
O’Neill kept the Rays off the board with a pair of spectacular plays in the top of the ninth. The two-time Gold Glover chased down a screaming line drive to rob Caminero. Andrew Kittredge generated a ground ball from Kenny Piper for the second out, but Jonny DeLuca found his way into scoring position with a double to left field.
Richie Palacios followed with a shallow fly ball to right field. It felt like the type of soft single that propels a team like the Rays to victory, but O’Neill raced in and made a diving grab to keep the score even at two. The game went to extras after Baltimore went quietly in the bottom half.
Cedric Mullins advanced the designated runner to third with a ground ball to start the tenth. Taylor Walls attempted to bunt Palacios home, but Rico Garcia cleanly fielded the squeeze play and flipped home to nab the potential go-ahead run. Garcia fell behind 3-0 to Díaz before closing out the inning with a fly out to left.
The Birds entered the bottom of the tenth needing only one run to walk things off. Albernaz sent out Beavers to pinch hit for Carlos Narváez, and the pinch-hit magic continued to propel the Orioles. Facing former Oriole Bryan Baker, Beavers fell behind 0-2 before taking a pair of fastballs outside of the zone. Baker made a quality pitch with a changeup below the knees, but Beavers went down to get the ball and ripped it to right center.
The ball bounced off the wall and allowed designated runner Leody Taveras to race home without a play. The MASN broadcast booth originally thought Beavers homered, but everyone gladly settled for a walk-off double and a 3-2 win.
These are the types of games that make you believe in the 2026 Orioles. Basallo delivered the big fly, the team made several impressive plays on defense, and Beavers came through with another clutch knock. Baltimore moved to 63-67 with the win. They’ll go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon with Shane Baz set to face Nick Martinez.
O’Neill shined on defense, while Basallo and Beavers delivered huge hits off the bench. Let us know your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Game in the comments below!
