The players in the Orioles’ clubhouse let out a collective groan.
Before their game Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays’ matchup against the Colorado Rockies was on the televisions in Baltimore’s locker room. Rays infielder Josh Lowe just hit a go-ahead two-run home run en route to a crucial victory in the middle of a tight American League East race.
“They’ve done this all three games,” an Orioles player said, noting the Rays came back to win each game against the Rockies.
It was Baltimore’s — and Gunnar Henderson’s — turn Friday. With the Orioles trailing by one in the eighth inning against the Rockies, the sensational rookie hit a go-ahead two-run homer to propel Baltimore to a 5-4 comeback victory at Camden Yards.
Baltimore starter Cole Irvin was good enough, pitching six innings of four-run ball, but the Orioles trailed 4-2 in the fifth against the National League’s worst team. In the sixth, Austin Hays joined Ryan Mountcastle, who hit a shallow homer to right field in the first, with a solo shot that barely cleared the outstretched arm of Colorado right fielder Charlie Blackmon to cut the Orioles’ deficit in half.
Henderson’s two-run homer — the 22nd of his American League Rookie of the Year-caliber campaign — put the Orioles’ bullpen in a position to slam the door on a third straight win.
After Irvin, Shintaro Fujinami pitched two sparkling innings to keep Baltimore in the game. He gave way to Félix Bautista in the ninth, and the closer retired the first two batters and had two strikes on Michael Toglia before exiting the game with an apparent injury after stumbling during his delivery. Left-hander Danny Coulombe entered and struck out Toglia on the first pitch he threw for the second save of his nine-year career.
The comeback win is Baltimore’s 39th of the season and fifth when trailing after seven innings. The Orioles are 80-48 and on pace to win 101 games. They are three games ahead of the Rays atop the AL standings.
This story will be updated.
Rockies at Orioles
Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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