Chris Davis on his walk-off homer and Dan Duquette's pregame comments

For the first time since July 22-23, 1998, the Orioles have won two straight games on walk-off homers. Manny Machado and Chris Davis got that done the last two nights against Oakland.

Oakland was also victimized back in 1998 when Rafael Palmeiro and Lenny Webster delivered the game-winning homers.

With two outs in the last of the ninth tonight, Davis faced Oakland switch-pitcher Pat Venditte. The A's hurler threw left-handed against Gerardo Parra and then right-handed against Adam Jones.

Davis-Walkoff-Celebration.jpgHe went back to lefty to face Davis. The first switch-pitcher in the majors since Greg Harris in September 1995 found out what left- and right-handers have both seen recently.

Davis is red-hot at the plate and the Orioles first baseman hit a 2-2 pitch for the game-ending homer in a 4-3 win.

"I had a pretty good scouting report after I saw (Gerardo) Parra's at-bat," Davis said. "A great at-bat by him. A guy you've never seen, Parra made him throw a lot of pitches, which was good for me. The last pitch I hit was a good pitch, just tried to put the barrel on it.

"It would nice to win by four or five runs and not have to hold your breath the whole game. But anytime you get a win at home, it's big. Proud of the way the guys have battled.

"Really fun. Anytime you are winning, it is fun, especially the way we've done it the last two nights, walking off. I felt last night was just huge for us because it was a tough, hot game. We had some unfortunate hits go against us and we kept battling. I thought it might go 20 or 25 innings. Says a lot about the character of this team."

Davis is on an amazing streak right now with six homers his last six games and nine in his last 12 contests. Over his past 23 games, he has hit 15 home runs with 35 RBIs. Tonight was his 11th career multi-home game and third career walk-off home run.

He also hit walk-off homers June 23, 2014 against the White Sox and May 14, 2009 against the Mariners.

"Anytime you are swinging the bat well, you feel good about where you are at. But I try not to read too much into it. I know as quickly as it comes, it can go. You just try to take it one day at a time and stay with your approach," he said after hitting his 33rd and 34th homers of the season.

Davis is now one homer off Nelson Cruz's American League lead of 35 and has taken the AL lead in RBIs with 88.

"I said it last week: That just means I am doing my job. My job, as well a couple of other guys, is to drive runs in. Want to do that anyway I can," he said.

Before tonight's game, during a session with Orioles season ticket holders, executive vice president Dan Duquette was asked about the club trying to re-sign key free agents like Davis.

"We want to sign some of our key players for the future and Chris Davis is one of them," Duquette said.

Davis was asked about those comments after tonight's game.

"I'd love to stay here," he said. "I told you guys in spring training I wasn't going to talk about contracts. We have way too much on our plate right now. Too much to focus on. It would be selfish for me to talk about my future with the team when we are trying to make the postseason. We'll address that when the time comes."

Miguel Gonzalez pitched better tonight after going 4-4 with a 6.22 ERA since coming off the DL in late June. He gave up three runs in the first three innings tonight, but none after that, pitching seven innings. It was just the second time in his last 12 starts that he went seven or more innings.

Did the last few innings turn some things around for him?

"It does," he said. "Mentally, you get that adrenaline going and it's positive. Being able to go seven innings after last night's game was big. Early on, my off-speed wasn't crisp and they were laying off those pitches. But I was working faster later in the game, settled in and that helped."

O's closer Zach Britton allowed two runs in the ninth last night. Tonight, he retired the side on just nine pitches in the ninth to get the win.

"I tried not to overthink it," he said after improving to 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA. "I just left it there. I knew I made some good pitches yesterday. Today, same pitches, just different results. With the sinker, sometimes that happens and today it didn't."

Britton also talked about Davis and his hot streak.

"It's impressive. He is coming up in big situations for us and that is what you need from a guy of his caliber and talent," Britton said. "I remember watching him like this a couple of years ago. Last year, he had some struggles, but he is back to the Chris that we know. Great timing for it."




Chris Davis, today's game and School of Roch Night...
Buck Showalter: "Without a doubt, that was fun"
 

By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.masnsports.com/