Crab Cakes and Walk Offs
The Baltimore Orioles just did something that has never been done before and it was actually good (sort of)
The Baltimore Orioles have been the pleasant surprise of the MLB season thus far. They’re still dead last in the AL East, over 20 games adrift of the majors-pacing Yankees, but something strange has happened in 2022:
The Orioles have become respectable
They’re the best last-place team in the majors. They have the number-one prospect in baseball learning the ropes and playing pretty well doing it. Trey Mancini remains in town as the trade deadline approaches. The vibes are pretty good at Camden Yards, new left field wall notwithstanding, and they got even better on Tuesday night when the Orioles did something that has, quite literally, never been done before.
If that sounds crazy to you, just wait until you see it. The game of tug-of-war began in the 7th inning, when Texas’ Mitch Garver went yard to tie it at four runs apiece.
The Orioles responded with a big inning, extending their lead to 7-4.
That didn’t phase the Rangers, however, who answered back with a single swing of Nathaniel Lowe's bat.
Then Ryan McKenna responded in kind for the Orioles.
In the final frame, Corey Seager seemingly ended it with this two-run, go-ahead bomb …
… before former Ranger Rougned Odor said not so fast, garnishing the whole thing with another signature Odor bat flip.
An inning later, Cedric Mullins ended it in overtime with a walk-off single to left. Os win. Talk about never saying never.
Now the pessimist probably sees this and says “oh, another shaky outing from the pen,” but the optimists among us can't help but notice the heart and grit and belief. And believe it or not, there’s reason for optimism in Baltimore these days. So enjoy it while it lasts, because it probably won’t.