Manny Machado hits two-run walk-off homer in ninth (with quotes)

Well, Oriole magic can happen even in the early morning hour of a Wednesday.

With the Orioles down to their last out, Manny Machado hit a walk-off two-run homer off right-hander Dellin Betances as the Orioles stunned the New York Yankees 7-6 in the ninth inning at Camden Yards. They rallied from a 6-1 deficit to win.

Betances made a big mistake. He walked Tim Beckham with two outs and none on in the ninth. That gave Machado an at-bat and he would follow with his second homer of the night for the win. He blasted a 1-0 knuckle-curve 431 feet to center field.

He produced his third walk-off homer of the year the fifth of his career. He hit his 31st and 32nd homers for his fifth multi-homer game of 2017 and 14th of his career. It was the Orioles' 12th walk-off win.

Now 71-68, the Orioles moved to within one-half game of the Minnesota Twins, who began the night holding the second AL wild card. The Orioles have won 10 of their last 13.

Earlier, a top of the third inning that spiraled out of control for the Orioles tonight looked like it would be just too much to overcome. But it wasn't, as the Orioles improved to 44-29 at Camden Yards.

The Yankees scored six runs in that third inning and it had to be one of the worst half innings of the season for the Orioles. They contributed two walks, a hit batter and an error to the Yankees' cause.

O's starter Jeremy Hellickson pitched two scoreless to start his night but six of the first seven batters reached in the third when the Yankees had just three hits. A single, walk and hit batter loaded the bases with one out. Didi Gregorius plated two with a single. Another run scored when Adam Jones dropped a fly ball in center. Another on a groundout. It was a messy and long inning. After a two-out, two-run single by Jacoby Ellsbury, the Orioles trailed 6-1.

In his shortest outing since a one-inning game on Sept. 14, 2015, Hellickson lasted just 2 1/3 and gave up just two hits, but allowed five runs (three earned) and walked four batters. Of his 64 pitches, 33 were balls. Over his past five O's starts he has allowed 25 earned runs over 23 2/3 innings.

Trey Mancini's RBI infield hit had the O's up 1-0 in the first before New York's big inning. But Machado's solo homer off left-hander CC Sabathia in the third was his 31st and made it a 6-2 game. Two innings later, Jonathan Schoop hit his 31st for a 6-3 game. Both homers went the same distance - 425 feet.

The Orioles got within one run when Mark Trumbo hit a two-run homer to left in the sixth. It was No. 22 on the year and No. 200 of Trumbo's career. The O's had climbed back within 6-5. Sabathia gave up eight hits and five runs over 5 1/3 innings on 94 pitches.

It was a long night of baseball. One that ended in the first hour of Wednesday morning after the game began at 9:19 p.m. There was a rain delay of two hours and 14 minutes at the start. But the remaining fans here at the end got to see Machado do something special. Again.

In the Wednesday night series finale, right-hander Kevin Gausman (10-9, 4.79 ERA) faces right-hander Sonny Gray (2-4, 3.16 ERA with New York only) at 7:05 p.m.

Postgame quotes

Machado on the game-winning homer: "I'm just looking for something up. Something I can do damage with. You know I'm up in the count and just trying to look for a good pitch that I could hit, that I could control. I hit it pretty good, yeah I did.

"See ball, hit ball. Keep it simple. Keep it very simple. Try to get a pitch you can hit. We were able to chip away little by little. You can't win the game with one at-bat."

Machado on having confidence in a situation like that: "We prepare every day out there and do our routines before games, BP. We are prepared for situations like that and big games. It is all about preparation. We just go out there and enjoy ourselves and be ready to play at seven o'clock."

Machado on O's believing in a come back: "We are confident with everyone we have in here. We're just trying to do everything possible to keep playing as team and doing the little things that count. We just have to control going out there, having fun, enjoying ourselves and giving it our all."

Trumbo on the win: "This is a huge game for us. This is the time of the year that, if you're going to make a push, we need to do it now. It was picture-perfect ending. Couldn't have asked for anything more."

Trumbo on Machado with another walk-off: "He's on another level. He's a premier talent. This season is going to be one he can use in the future to build off of. He's proven to himself that even if he has a little bit of a struggle, that talent is in there. It's going to come out. It's a character builder and he's played exceptionally."