Watkins sets career high for innings and López earns save to complete sweep (updated)

The Orioles won’t turn away a walk-off win and all of the dramatics that go along with it. The late lead changes, the heart-pounding drama. And the complaints will be kept to a minimum when it happens in extra innings in consecutive games.

Manager Brandon Hyde held the double-edged sword earlier today while revisiting last night’s insanity, how the Orioles became the first team in major league history to surrender tying or go-ahead home runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth without losing.

Happy for the comebacks, pained by the reasons behind them.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” he said.

“We can laugh about it now. Last night I wasn’t laughing at it.”

The smiles came a little easier tonight, with Spenser Watkins holding the Rangers to one run over a career-high 6 2/3 innings and Jorge López notching his 14^th save in a 2-1 victory over the Rangers at Camden Yards.

Tension without the trauma.

The Orioles swept their first three-game series since July 23-25, 2021 against the Nationals. They hadn’t swept the Rangers since 2017.

López emerged from his slump after surrendering home runs in three straight appearances and squandering back-to-back save opportunities in Minnesota. Jonah Heim singled with one out, but two strikeouts followed after Brad Miller's fly ball to right barely hooked foul.

"We talked a couple days ago and he was going to have last night off, and he asked, if a save situation came up tonight, he wanted to be in there," Hyde said. "I would love to have had a three-run lead, but of course it's a one-run lead with all left-handers coming up in the middle of their order. I just wanted to show him confidence and got on the phone right away, and Lopey's got the ninth. Great to see the emotion from him after the game.

"It's not easy being in a role for the first time, and having such a great start, and then having a couple tough outings, and to deal with that, which he's never had to deal with any of that before. And to come out tonight and pitch in a 2-1 game in the ninth and get a punchout to end it, that must have felt great."

"Incredible," Watkins said. "I gave him a huge hug. I think everybody gave him a huge hug. There's not been a single doubt in anybody's mind here that he is our guy, so for him to come out and do that for us, and what he does normally, it was incredible to see, and I think everybody really enjoyed it."

López pumped his fist and yelled as Adley Rutschman ran to greet him after Miller struck out.

"It's just incredible, it feels really good to get the last three outs and get the win to the guys," he said. "Watkins has been really good, (Bryan) Baker's really good, I feel I have to do my job, too. Cionel (Pérez) is really good, too. So being positive and stay in the game. Some struggles I know are going to happen, but it's a better feeling when you come back.

"I've been the same guy out there. I'm not going to change."

Hyde held his breath on Miller's fly ball down the line.

"I don't want to talk about that, really," he quipped. "From our angle it's so hard to tell foul down the right field line, just because we have a weird angle at it. I was hoping it was going foul."

"Whew," López said, smiling. "It was really close. I'm still mad about that pitch. We could still be playing."

Watkins retired 12 of the first 14 batters on 44 pitches. He threw nine in the first, third and fourth, and 10 in the sixth to leave his count at 68.

Nathaniel Lowe doubled to lead off the second, and he reached on an infield hit in the fourth on a ball that deflected off Watkins’ glove and rolled toward shortstop.

Rougned Odor, a hero last night with his two-out, game-tying home run in the ninth inning, made a sensational play in the field to assist Watkins in the fourth. He ranged to his right to backhand Corey Seager’s hard ground ball and made a leaping throw for the out as his momentum carried him into center field.

"I'm pretty sure I yelled," Watkins said. "I don't know if you guys heard me or not, but I'm pretty sure I yelled. It was pretty awesome. Roogie is priceless to this team. Defensively, he makes plays. He's incredible in the clubhouse, he's an awesome leader. Anytime you see him do his work and support me is awesome."

Doubles by Kole Calhoun and Leody Taveras in the fifth reduced the lead to 2-1, but Watkins threw just 13 pitches. The bullpen didn’t budge.

Watkins retired the side in order in the sixth on a fly ball, popup and strikeout of Lowe, who flailed at a curveball in the dirt.

The bullpen still didn’t budge until one out in the seventh, when Baker started to warm. Calhoun walked, Miller popped up, and Hyde came out to get the ball with Watkins at 84 pitches.

"He pitched so well. So happy for him," Hyde said.

"It was a humid night, he's been up to six innings, and he threw so many strikes. Had the breaking balls going, good cutter. It's primarily a left-handed lineup, difficult for a right-handed pitcher to pitch to, and just did a great job changing speeds and throwing a ton of strikes.

"It's confidence, and having a little success and building off success. Last year when he came to us, he had some early success and then had some adversity and struggled, and he got his confidence back this year. I think our pitching guys are doing a great job with him, and he's so coachable. ... He was really good."

Baker gave up a single to Taveras and retired Charlie Culberson on a ground ball, with Trey Mancini scooping Jorge Mateo’s throw in the dirt.

Watkins allowed four hits, walked one and struck out three. He’s surrendered two earned runs in 17 2/3 innings in his three starts since returning to the Orioles.

A rotation spot seems secured, but Watkins won't make any assumptions.

"This game, in my career, I can never set my eyes on one thing," he said. "I just keep the floor open and I keep my eyes ahead. Whatever I've got to do to stay in the rotation, I'm going to do that. Hopefully, I continue to pitch as well as I am right now. But I take it one game at a time."

A two-run second inning provided Watkins with an early lead against Glenn Otto.

Adley Rutschman and Ramón Urías walked with one out and moved up on a wild pitch. Odor popped up, but Ryan McKenna reached on an infield hit to score Rutschman. Urías followed on Seager’s throwing error, which the shortstop made after making a barehanded pickup.

"Put the ball in play with two strikes with a runner in scoring position," Hyde said. "We talk about it a lot. Make the defense make a play. ... Mac's doing something almost every game to help us win."

Pérez replaced Baker with one out in the eighth. Baker has allowed one run in his last seven appearances covering 10 innings.

The Angels arrive for a four-game series. The Orioles (39-44) are winners of four in a row. None easy, but they count.

"Good teams win in different ways," Hyde said, "and we've won some close games as of late. We have gotten better."

Down on the farm, Double-A Bowie outfielder Colton Cowser had three hits, including his second home run with the Baysox. Drew Rom allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

High-A Aberdeen’s Carson Carter allowed one run and three hits with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 relief innings.

Heston Kjerstad singled, doubled, drove in three runs and walked twice at Single-A Delmarva.