The Orioles Are Addicted To Walk-Off Wins, Have Now Won 4 Out Of Their Last 5 Games On Walk-Offs

I have no clue what has gotten into these Orioles but oh my god is it fun. All season long we talked about how they couldn't buy a walk-off, they were the last team in baseball to win a game in the ninth at home, a streak that ended on August 13th. But the last week they've been basically unstoppable and fully addicted to walk-offs. They've won seven of eight and eight of their last 10 to get to 68-77 on the year. The winning trend isn't surprising, it's the walk-offs. The Orioles have won via the walk-off in four of their last five games. So they went their first 58 home games without winning off a walk-off and now they've gone four outta five. Truly an incredible and unprecedented run. Four wins in the ninthth inning or later in six days, what a rush this has been. And it hasn't been the usual suspects to walk the birds off. Not Jackson, not Gunnar, not Mounty, not Colton....it's the new boys. 

The run started on Friday night as our newly extended Samuel Basallo went yaya off Tanner Scott in the 9th with a monstrous shot, his first career homer at Camden Yards wasn't a cheapie. Deeeeeeep into the September night for the buffalo, the kid is special. Awesome way to get your first walk-off. 

You know what happened the next night on Saturday, 2131 night and the boys absolutely pissed down their leg for the first 8 and 2/3rds innings. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the verge of his first big league no-hitter until Jackson Holliday parked one to right. 1 out away from a no-no snowballed VERY quickly to a 3-2 game with Emmanuel Rivera at the plate. Friend of the program Tanner Scott had another fantastic night as he gave up his second walk-off in as many nights. One of the best games of the year in baseball. 

Basallo wanted to get back into the convo so he decided to notch his second walk-off in his first 17 games. This was by far the weirdest one too, Tommy Pham can't make the catch and the ball lands fair as Gunnar Henderson trots on home for the win. Impossible play by Pham because he wasn't throwing out Gunnar at home if he caught it, but our young buffalo gets the gatorade bath for his second time in three games. This ball wasn't hit as far but it got the job done. Maybe the weirdest walk-off win for any team in baseball this season.

And then last night we saw rookie Dylan Beavers with his first career walk-off, this one was more traditional. He's been such a fun player to watch since he's come out, he's lived on base since coming up a few weeks back. Fantastic at-bat too, worked all the way back from 0-2 before calling game. All he does is get on base, he's Nick Markakis 2.0. Wouldn't know he was a rookie if you watch him play, he's as cool as they come. And yes, his swing is almost identical to Kyle Tucker, we like that. Great night for the rookie to give the O's their seventh win in eight games.

Season was doomed from their 14-36 start through their first 50 games but they've been good since then. 52-43 in their next 95 games but it's too little, too late. Their only real shot now is to play spoiler for teams and try to keep them out of the playoffs and build for next year, and that's exactly what they're doing. Swept the Padres, took 2/3 from the Dodgers and have some other playoff teams coming up. They have no choice but to keep walking team's off, they're fully addicted now. Four in five games is a crazy run, especially considering their drought earlier in the season. This is why you love baseball folks, what a game.