Orioles ignore stats and avoid sweep with 9-6 win (updated)

This wasn’t just the clichéd two teams heading in opposite directions moment in today’s game. The red-hot Yankees, with the best record in baseball, versus an Orioles team with six losses in a row to fall 10 below .500.

The Orioles were 4-20 when their opponent scored first. The Yankees were 19-2, and they jumped Baltimore native Bruce Zimmermann for two runs in the opening inning.

If the Orioles were getting on any sort of roll through the weekend, they’d first have to go off script.

The teams were tied four times as they closed out the series at Camden Yards. Three soft singles from the Yankees in the sixth inning appeared to doom the Orioles, but they reclaimed the lead in the bottom half and held it until two outs in the ninth.

DL LeMahieu’s fly ball in front of right fielder Anthony Santander scored Isiah Kiner-Falefa to destroy Jorge López’s bid for a four-out save. Félix Bautista left the bases loaded, and then Santander hit a walk-off, three-run homer in the Orioles’ 9-6 win before an announced crowd of 23,819 that prevented back-to-back series sweeps.

López stranded a runner in the eighth and almost did the same in the ninth after Kiner-Falefa’s walk and stolen base. He threw 15 pitches last night and 33 more today.

"I think Jorge's due for a time when he's not perfect," said manager Brandon Hyde. "He hasn't had many of them."

The ending met critics' approval.

Austin Hays reached on Josh Donaldson’s throwing error in the bottom of the ninth, Trey Mancini ran the count full against Lucas Luetge and singled with one out - winning a 10-pitch battle that included six foul balls - and Santander delivered his first career walk-off by pulling a first-pitch cutter into the left field seats.

Santander homered from both sides of the plate in the series opener.

"We talked a little bit about just being on time with the fastball with him," Hyde said. "They're elevating fastballs with him, kind of spinning underneath, what they've done in the past when he hasn't gone as well. When he can kind of zone down and swing at strikes that he can drive, he's extremely dangerous. His right-handed at-bats have been excellent, that's great to see. That means his lower half is feeling good. ... This year his legs feel better. The bat speed is there." 

Asked how the walk-off felt, including teammates waiting at home plate to douse him with the water coolers, Santander didn't need interpreter Brandon Quinones.

"Awesome," he replied.

"It feels incredible to finally have my first walk-off," he said, switching back to Spanish. "I dedicate it to my parents who have been there supporting me the entire way through when I was a little kid."

Santander said he put himself in Luetge's shoes in that situation, knowing the left-hander wanted to come inside and jam him and get a ground ball for a double play.

"So, I was able to get my hands in and focus on that," he said, "and I hit the ball really well."

The Yankees were 18-0 when scoring five or more runs, the most wins without a loss in the majors. But the Orioles treated the stat like a line in a rough draft.

"Reward for them," Hyde said after his club's third walk-off win and second against New York. And the first walk-off home run since Rio Ruiz on Aug. 11, 2019 against the Astros.

"Last two nights we lost two one-run games. I thought today was some of our better at-bats of the season. ... Trey with a great, great, great at-bat in the ninth inning to extend it and give Santander a chance."

Zimmermann was charged with a season-high five runs, two while he sat in the dugout during an active sixth inning.

Asked what he took out of his start, Zimmermann said, "The win."

"That was a great team win. The offense really picked us up today and swung the bats incredibly well in tough situations. That bullpen is one of the best in the league and everybody knows the streak they're on with how well they're playing, so just to get the win today is the big thing."

Zimmermann watched Santander's home run in the clubhouse with some of the relievers.

"We definitely threw ourselves a little party in here," he said.

The incessant talk about the left field wall can be tuned out. Santander said the most important thing is to not focus on it. Just make hard contact.

"And when you do," he said, "that thing's going to fly out of the park."

Aaron Judge opened the sixth with a ground ball single into left-center and Anthony Rizzo lifted a fly ball that fell in shallow left, swatting at it to beat the shift. Bryan Baker replaced Zimmermann, walked Giancarlo Stanton to load the bases, struck out the next two batters and was burned by a ground ball from Kiner-Falefa that scooted past diving third baseman Tyler Nevin and scored two runs for a 5-3 lead.

Former Orioles reliever Miguel Castro faced three batters in the bottom of the inning and retired none. Santander walked, Jorge Mateo reached on catcher’s interference and Nevin singled to cut the lead to 5-4 and bring Chad Green out of the bullpen. A sacrifice fly and RBI single from pinch-hitters Cedric Mullins and Rougned Odor, respectively, put the Orioles ahead 6-5, and Green departed with right forearm discomfort.

Odor’s second go-ahead hit this season against his former team.

"He's stayed ready," Hyde said. "He's a pro. We give him a heads up, but he also understands the game and he stays ready to pinch-hit."

Stanton led off the fourth inning by becoming the first opposing player to clear the controversial left field wall, and he tied the game 3-3.

The early signs of trouble for Zimmermann included three-ball counts to the first two batters and Stanton’s two-run single after falling behind 0-2.

Judge drew a one-out walk, Rizzo doubled and Stanton followed with a 114 mph, 386-foot single off the left field wall.

Stanton was forced at second base on Mateo’s diving stop to his left and flip to Chris Owings, who made a barehanded grab. Zimmermann struck out Hicks on a curveball, his 21^st pitch in the inning.

Zimmermann became the latest Orioles starter with a bounce back second inning, throwing only five pitches in a scoreless frame. Because baseball. Also, because the Orioles turned their 47^th double play, most in the majors. They began the day tied with the Rockies.

No. 48 bailed out Zimmermann after LeMahieu’s leadoff single in the third. A 3-6-4 double play following Judge’s disputed strikeout.

Man, there’s no pleasing that guy.

No. 49 bailed out Dillon Tate after Marwin Gonzalez’s leadoff single in the seventh, this one going 5-4-3 with Judge batting.

Judge is 0-for-8 with three strikeouts against Tate.

"Huge area that we've struggled with the last few years, and we've got guys in the middle who can really turn a double play," Hyde said. "Mateo gets to the ball quickly, he gives a good feed quick with good arm strength almost every single time. Vice-versa with the guys on the right side, whether it's CO (Chris Owings) or Roogie. And they all can turn it extremely well with arm strength. It's fun to watch. These guys are playing really good defense up the middle."

Robinson Chirinos tied the game with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field after Nevin’s leadoff single in the second inning. Not the catcher coveted by fans, but they rose to their feet and cheered anyway.

Chirinos is the first Orioles catcher to homer at Camden Yards. Anthony Bemboom hit one in St. Louis.

Jordan Montgomery couldn’t hold a lead or keep the game tied. Santander doubled with two outs in the third inning and scored on Mateo’s bloop single into center field.

Zimmermann allowed only one home run over his first six starts. Opponents have hit three in the past two, including Stanton’s 392-footer inside the pole.

Back-to-back walks in the sixth against Green’s replacement, Jonathan Loaisiga, loaded the bases with two outs. Mancini was called out on strikes and spiked his helmet, bat, gloves and protective gear at the plate.

Two curveballs out of the strike zone. One angry first baseman.

Rizzo struck out in the eighth, returned to the dugout and was ejected by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. Rizzo ran onto the field and screamed at Gonzalez - another angry first baseman.

But a home team quite happy to pen its own ending.