In a matchup that was closer than it probably should have been, at least on paper, the Baltimore Orioles prevailed over the Athletics (53-82) in West Sacramento, California on Friday. It took 10 innings for the O’s to get past the A’s by a score of 4-3. Posessing a record better than just two teams, the A’s proved difficult to put away.
The Orioles scored two runs in the seecond inning to take a 2-0 lead and the way that inning transpired gave every indication of a laugher. Coby Mayo (2 for 4, R, RBI, SB) was hit by a pitch to open the inning, advanced to second on a one-out walk by Leody Taveras and scored on RBI-single by Dylan Beavers. Taveras then scored on a play that saw Carlos Narvaez reach first after being barreled into by A’s starter Jacob Lopez in his failed attempt to field the ball and make the tag midway up the first base line. The inning ended with Lopez throwing Beavers out at home after fielding a Blaze Alexander single that ricocheted off the first base bag. Lopez found himself at 50 pitches thrown after the inning ended.
Surprisingly, the game remained 2-0 in Baltimore’s favor until the A’s scored a run in both the seventh and eighth innings. While Lopez managed to last 5.0 innings, Orioles’ starter Brandon Young held the A’s scoreless until surrendering a seventh inning solo homerun to Jonah Heim who was the Orioles’ 4th round draft pick in 2013. Young allowed just that lone run on 5 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4 across 7.0 innings.
The A’s played small ball (hit batter, single, sacrifice bunt and single) to tie the game at 2 each in the eighth inning at the expense of Rico Garcia.
The Orioles began the tenth inning with Narvaez the ghost runner at second base. Pete Alonso was intentionally walked with one out and then was replaced by pinch-runner Gunnar Henderson. Mayo drove Narvaez home on a single that was bobbled by Lawrence Butler in right field. Christian Encarnacion-Strand then drove in Henderson with a RBI-single.
Alex Hoppe came on to pitch the tenth inning and despite giving up a run on a Zack Gelof RBI single with two outs, earned his first career save in support of Andrew Kittredge (3-3), who was credited with the win.
Hopefully, the Athletics won’t prove to be this difficult to put away the rest of the series. Limited to six hits by the A’s, the O’s were held to a 4 for 11 performance with runners in scoring position.
2026 Record: 66-69
Next Game: Sat. 8/29 @ 10:05 pm @ Athletics in West Sacramento, CA
