Adley Rutschman homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles an 8-7 walk-off victory against the visiting Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon.
Rutschman hit Trevor May’s second pitch over the fence in right-center field for his fourth home run of the season. It was Rutschman’s only hit of the game.
It capped a back-and-forth game and gave Baltimore three wins in the four-game series.
Ryan Mountcastle also hit a home run and Ryan O’Hearn drove in three runs in his Orioles debut.
Brent Rooker homered twice and drove in five runs for the Athletics.
Felix Bautista (1-1) was the winning pitcher with one inning of shutout relief. May fell to 2-2.
Oakland scored in the first inning in every game of the series. This time, its first run came on Rooker’s sacrifice fly.
The Orioles led 7-4 after three innings, but Oakland responded with two runs in the fourth and tied the game on Rooker’s second homer of the game — third of the season — in the fifth. Rooker smashed a three-run shot in the third.
O’Hearn had a two-run single in the second inning and a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the third.
Austin Hays posted three hits and two runs and Jorge Mateo knocked in two runs for Baltimore.
Oakland’s Esteury Ruiz went 3-for-4.
Tied 7-7, the Orioles appeared ready to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth with runners on second and third base and no outs. But Mateo popped out and Cedric Mullins’ fly ball to right field turned into an inning-ending double play when Ramon Laureano threw out Terrin Vavra at the plate.
Athletics starter Adam Oller was charged with seven runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings. Adrian Martinez gave Oakland 3 2/3 shutout innings in relief.
Baltimore starter Cole Irvin lasted four innings, giving up six runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
–Field Level Media