Dropped pop, inside-park hr key wild o's w

One thing that we learned about the Orioles during their 10-9 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night is that they can hit in the clutch. From the sixth inning

onward, Baltimore collected 10 runs on 12 hits. And it all ended in the 10th, when Austin Hays zoomed around the bases for an inside-the-park homer to get the Orioles a lead they would

finally not relent. The score was tied at 8-8 to start extras because the Phillies misplayed a popup with the bases loaded in the ninth to let two runners score. So Baltimore started the

additional frame with automatic runner Andrew Velazquez on second base. Hays came to the plate and laced a ball that skipped by center fielder Roman Quinn for an inside-the-park homer, his

first homer of the year and the first round-tripper of his career that never left the yard. Once he saw the ball go by Quinn, Hays was off to the races. “I didn’t think he had any chance at

all to catch it when I first hit it,” Hays said. “I thought it was going to be a one-hop line drive to him. I saw him start to lay out. I thought he was going to catch it. It was really

close. ... I saw the ball go by him. ... I was sniffing an inside-the-parker all the way." The game had a little bit of everything -- the dropped popup, four lead changes, two blown

saves, an overturned steal of home by Velazquez, Miguel Castro's first earned runs of the season. “We had everything that a game could have in the last couple innings,” said Phillies

star Bryce Harper. It was a grind-out mentality from both teams, but it ended up being a great team win for the Orioles. The way the game was going at first, it looked like Philadelphia

right-hander Zack Wheeler was going to dominate Baltimore. He had the O's shut out for five innings and retired 10 of the last 11 hitters he faced before Baltimore sported a different

approach in the sixth inning. By the seventh inning, Phillies reliever Tommy Hunter was on the mound when the Orioles took the lead. Pat Valaika scored from first on a double by Hanser

Alberto, who then came home on a single by Santander to make it a 5-3 game. “We have good, professional hitters,” said Orioles right-hander Alex Cobb, who ended up with a no-decision after

tossing 5 1/3 innings of three-run (two earned) ball. “The middle of our lineup, I would put them up with anybody right now. They are making pitchers work. You could see as the game goes on,

the [hitters] make those adjustments they need to make. “They try to figure out how the other team is attacking them. They just put together quality at-bats. They hit the ball hard. I don’t

think it's a fluke. These guys put a lot of work in. They have put together a stretch where they are giving us pitchers a real chance almost every night.” Baltimore’s bullpen

couldn't hold the lead, as Castro allowed a two-run homer to Harper and a solo homer to Jean Segura in the eighth. But the Orioles came back and seized the lead again in the ninth

inning off Philly closer Héctor Neris. With the bases loaded, Chris Davis scored the tying run on a single by Núñez. Two batters later, Pedro Severino popped up in Neris’ area, but no one

could catch the ball, allowing two more runs to score. That's when heads started to really turn in the dugout and clubhouse. “It was awesome, rooting hard for your guys," Cobb

said. "It’s a lot of fun to be able to watch them finish it off.” Even when the Phillies tied the score in the ninth inning off Cole Sulser, the Orioles showed they could make

adjustments at the plate, as when Hays laced the game-winner. “We really had good at-bats all night," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "Hays had a grind-out mentality. Runners on

second base and nobody out, he is looking to drive the ball in the middle part of the field. He does that and lets his legs do the rest. Huge hit.” “This season seems to be a very different

story,” Hays said. “We seem to find a way -- night in and night out -- to make sure we are there at the end of the game. Hopefully, we’ll continue to keep getting those big hits in late

situations.” The Orioles have won three consecutive games, and they improved their record to 8-7.