Tie game. Bottom of the ninth. Two outs. Which Oriole do you want at the plate to get the walk-off? That answer has varied over the last few years, but Samuel Basallo may be everyone’s answer going forward. As many fans were resigning themselves to extra innings, the 21-year-old catcher walloped a 99 mph fastball from Tanner Scott into the centerfield seats to give the Orioles a 2-1 walk-off win.
He hit the ball 109.3 mph. It went 433 feet. Basallo admired his shot a bit, and why not? His first Camden
Yards home run was the difference maker in a game when both teams struggled for base runners and to get hits with runners in scoring position.
Shohei Ohtani and Dean Kremer are very different baseball players, but tonight they both looked very good. Unfortunately, both had to leave the game early. Ohtani hasn’t been pitching full starts as he eases back into starting after having Tommy John surgery. He pitched 3.2 shutout innings. Kremer pitched three shutout innings, then left the game with right forearm discomfort.
I never want to jump to conclusions about injuries, but when you hear forearm discomfort, it’s impossible not to think of Tommy John surgery. We can only hope that’s not what it means for Kremer. He isn’t a top-shelf pitcher, but he has been a major part of the rotation since 2021. If the worst does come to pass, the 2026 starting rotation outlook just got even bleaker.
But before he came out, he was having a Good Dean start. It was so nice to see after his last two starts, which were disasters. Kremer started his night by striking out Ohtani and he went on to retire the first eight batters he faced. The ninth, Miguel Rojas, hit a ground ball to Jackson Holliday at second base. The ball went right under Holliday’s glove for an error. Kremer followed by walking Ohtani, but Mookie Betts grounded out to end the inning.
Kremer looked like he was rolling, but that was the last we saw of him. His final pitching line: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. He threw 56 pitches. Get well soon, Dean-o.
Ohtani was not the regularly scheduled pitcher for tonight’s game. His last start in Pittsburgh was scratched due to illness, and we didn’t think we’d see him this weekend. But Tyler Glasnow was scratched with back tightness, so Ohtani stepped in. The Orioles got to him for three hits over 3.2 innings, but could not score. That includes two runners on in the third inning when Jackson Holliday walked and Jeremiah Jackson singled, but Gunnar Henderson grounded out.
In the fourth, Ryan Mountcastle led off the inning with a double and then moved to third base on a wild pitch. But the Orioles, in all their futility, could not bring him home. Colton Cowser and Emmanuel Rivera struck out, which ended Ohtani’s night. Relief pitcher Anthony Banda walked Dylan Beavers, but Samuel Basallo grounded out to end the inning.
With both Kremer and Ohtani out of the game, the bullpens took over and there were just so many pitchers. Through nine innings, the Orioles used six pitchers and the Dodgers used seven. For the most part, they were all effective.
The Orioles scored first, and they did it without a hit. Against Banda, Holliday and Henderson walked, then executed a double steal. Pitcher Ben Casparius picked that time to throw a wild pitch. Holliday never stopped running and ended up scoring. Henderson landed on third base. He was stranded, but the Orioles had a very short-lived 1-0 lead.
Dietrich Enns had replaced Kremer after the third inning, and let’s just say he battled. He gave up a single and two walks in the fourth inning, but escaped unscathed. He walked a third batter in the fifth, but induced a double play ball from Ohtani. In the sixth, his luck ran out. In what felt like only moments after the Orioles took the lead, Freddie Freeman unloaded on the first pitch for a game-tying homer.
Kade Strowd relieved Enns with 1.1 scoreless innings, followed by competent pitching from Grant Wolfram, Rico Garcia, and Yennier Cano. Garcia and Cano were especially effective with perfect innings. Cano looked vintage as he retired the side with ease.
After their game-scoring double steal/wild pitch combo in the fifth inning, the Orioles bats went quiet (as they often do). Beavers walked for a second time in the sixth, but was stranded. Coby Mayo led off the seventh with a solid single. He was pinch-run for by the newly activated Jorge Mateo. Mateo immediately got himself picked off. Come on!
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth, old friend Tanner Scott came in for the ninth. Rivera and Beavers both struck out, leaving it all up to Basallo. Basallo delivered.
Orioles win, 2-1! They are on a four-game winning streak and tomorrow have their ace, Trevor Rogers, on the mound. It’s the 30th anniversary of 2131 so hopefully the Yard will be rocking with both nostalgia and Orioles runs.
