This set has everything except the kitchen sink.
After 10 wild innings between the Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies, the game went into a rain delay before the start of the 11th. The contest between two of the best teams in MLB is tied 3-3 and the Phillies must start the frame.
The rain began pouring down in Baltimore seconds after Cedric Mullins was declared safe at home for a wild pitch. He was originally called out to end the game, but replay review showed he was narrowly safe before being tagged by Phillies catcher Rafael Marchán. Anthony Santander hit a fly ball to end the inning, sending the game to the 11th.
The rain delay began at approximately 9:55 p.m. and ended at 11:05 p.m.
A sold-out crowd of an announced 43,987 people, a mix of rabid Phillies fans and equally loud Orioles fans, repeatedly shook the yard during the game’s most exciting moments, giving it the feel of a playoff contest. But now they will have to wait to find out who will emerge victorious.
The Orioles play Saturday at 4:05 pm and Sunday at 1:35 pm If Friday’s game is called off, it will likely end before one of those two games.
Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run, bringing a sizable number of Phillies fans at Camden Yards to their feet. Orioles starter Kyle Bradish, who pitched just 74, allowed just one more run in his five innings, a solo shot to ninth batter Rafael Marchán. It’s unclear why Bradish, who missed the first five weeks of the season with an elbow injury, left early.
Baltimore’s bats struggled against Phillies starter Ranger Suarez, a National League Cy Young Award candidate and perhaps the best left-handed pitcher in baseball. The Orioles had six hits and two walks to Suárez, but could not get runners in scoring position. They left two runners in the fourth and seventh innings without scoring in either frame.
Adley Rutschman’s streak against lefties continued with an RBI single in the third, and Santander cleared the nearly indomitable left field wall for a game-tying solo home run in the eighth.
Closers Craig Kimbrel (Orioles) and José Alvarado (Phillies) pitched scoreless ninth innings to send the game into extras, during which an automatic runner is placed on second base.
Baltimore’s bullpen nearly escaped the 10th without allowing a run. Yennier Canó allowed one hit and two baserunners, but was helped by second baseman Jorge Mateo who brought out Bryson Stott at the plate with a groundout. Left-hander Cionel Pérez entered with the bases loaded and two outs to face left-handed batter Schwarber, and the slugger singled to right field. Edmundo Sosa scored to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead, but Santander caught Johan Rojas trying to score.
Down to the Orioles’ last out, Gunnar Henderson walked to load the bases and Mullins raced home to score on Orion Kerkering’s wild pitch. At first it looked like Mullins was going to be eliminated easily, but he deftly evaded Marchán’s tag. He confidently jumped in to express his displeasure with the original call and waited to see evidence that he was safe on the video board.
When the referee announced that Mullins was safe, cheers rained down on Camden Yards, and so did the rain soon after.
This story will be updated.
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