BALTIMORE-What happened? The Orioles had been the only team in the major leagues without a walk-off win until Wednesday night.
Jackson Holliday’s ninth-inning double scored Dylan Carlson to lift the Orioles to an exciting 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners before 17,290 at Camden Yards.
Carlson, who was 0-for-35 before Tuesday, singled for the second time in the game against Matt Brash (1-1). Holliday hit a 2-1 pitch to right field, scoring Carlson. He had been 5-for-41 in August before the double.
“It was really fun,” Holliday said. “I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like that, maybe besides hitting the first home run. It’s pretty exciting. I’m glad I was able to share it with this guys and finally get that first walk-off hit for the team. Hopefully, we can continue to play really good baseball and go on a run here.”
Keegan Akin (4-2) retired two batters in the top of the ninth after Yennier Cano allowed Seattle (67-54) to score two runs for a 3-3 tie. The Mariners had won eight straight.
“We’ve got to try to figure out how to get the ninth inning solved,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “Other guys will get opportunities. It’s a great opportunity for the guys who get thrown in there. At some point they’ve just got to kind of grab it and go.
“There’s a contingent in baseball that thinks the ninth inning is just another inning and anybody can close. I’m going to say I disagree. I think it’s a very unique inning and it changes emotions and feelings and all the things that kind of go into the things that great closers have. It’s a different inning and guys are going to have to learn to pitch in it.”
For the first six innings on Wednesday night, the Orioles’ offensive woes continued. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Orioles scored three runs, which these days counts as an offensive explosion. They hadn’t scored in their previous 17 innings.
Seattle starter Logan Gilbert had given up just two hits in six scoreless innings and had a 1-0 lead.
Ryan Mountcastle, who nearly won Tuesday night’s game with a three-run home run that hooked foul in the bottom of the ninth, hit his fourth home run of the season for a 1-1 tie.
Coby Mayo singled, and pinch-hitter Jeremiah Jackson tripled to score Mayo and continued to the plate after Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor threw wildly, and the Orioles led, 3-1.
The game started one hour, 40 minutes late because of rain.
Oriole starter Trever Rogers allowed two hits in six sterling innings. Rogers gave up a run in the top of the seventh when Julio Rodriguez tripled and Naylor smashed a ball past Holliday at second with the infield drawn in.
The Orioles (54-66) had just two hits against Gilbert in six innings — a single by Mountcastle in the second and a double by Gunnar Henderson with one out in the fourth.
Dietrich Enns allowed a hit in a scoreless eighth, and struck out two. Cano allowed two runs in the ninth.
Rodríguez singled and Eugenio Suárez walked. The Mariners pulled off a double steal, and Rodríguez scored on Naylor’s ground ball to second.
Akin replaced Cano, and Suárez scored on Dominic Canzone’s sacrifice fly to tie it at 3 after 8 ½.
How good was Rogers? Rogers actually lowered his ERA from 1.44 to 1.43 after allowing one run on four hits, striking out six without a walk in seven innings.
He watched warily as the team’s offense was listless for six innings.
“That’s a rollercoaster of a game, and they tie it up, you’re like, ‘Oh man,’ you could go one of two ways, like, ‘Oh, here we go again,’ or you could keep fighting,” Rogers said. “That’s what this team does. We keep fighting for each other and we go until the last out, so I was really happy to see us pull it out there.”
Enns catches Mansolino’s eye: Before the game, Mansolino spoke highly of the left-handed Enns, a 34-year-old who was acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline.
“He’s interesting. I think Dietrich Enns is an interesting guy here in ‘25 and going forward,” Mansolino said.
“The front office went and grabbed him at the trade deadline, kind of was an under-the-radar move. As we’re losing all our guys and understandably so with how this goes, how this business goes, it didn’t feel good, and then you get something back in Dietrich, and then you go, ‘it helps a little bit’, and seeing him throw the ball so far, it’s been pretty good. He’s really interesting, and he does give you length. There’s some neutrality to it, too with that changeup. He’s an interesting piece right now.”
What does it mean? In any club in transition, there are opportunities for unknown players. Jackson is grabbing that opportunity.
What’s the stat of the day? Rogers has made seven consecutive starts of six-plus innings and allowed two runs or fewer, the longest streak since Erik Bedard’s seven-game streak from June 21st-July 28th, 2006.
What’s the word? “It’s been tough. I think what makes it even tougher is playing good teams. We’ve played some pretty good teams with some really good pitching staffs. It’s been tough, it’s part of the game. We’ve got to adjust.”-Holliday on the post-trade deadline Orioles.
What’s going on in the minor leagues? In his Triple-A debut, Trey Gibson threw five scoreless innings, allowing one hit, striking out six without a walk as Norfolk beat Jacksonville, 4-1.
José Barrero hit a two-run home run.
Creed Willems hit two home runs, and Douglas Hodo III hit a homer in Double-A Chesapeake’s 8-6 loss to Erie.
Wellington Aracena allowed two hits in five scoreless innings in High-A Aberdeen’s 1-0 loss to Hudson Valley in 10 innings.
Boston Bateman gave up a run on six hits in 4 1/3 innings as Single-A Delmarva’s 8-3 loss to Lynchburg. The Shorebirds allowed a seven-run eighth.
What’s next? Tomoyuki Sugano (9-5, 4.24) will face Logan Evans (6-4, 4.36) on Thursday at 12:35 p.m.
Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com