Shintaro Fujinami hadn’t been trusted to pitch in high-leverage situations in more than two weeks.
Manager Brandon Hyde had no choice Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels.
After six relievers combined to blow two late leads, Hyde was forced to bring in the volatile reliever with a one-run lead in the 10th inning with All-Stars Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano unavailable — the former due to injury, the latter because of workload.
Fujinami delivered.
The Japanese right-hander stranded the automatic runner, striking out Nolan Schanuel to end the game and hand Baltimore a 5-4 win.
Fujinami had the chance to record his second save of the season thanks to Jordan Westburg, whose RBI groundout scored zombie runner Austin Hays in the top half of the 10th.
The victory is the Orioles’ 44th in come-from-behind fashion this season, and it maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays atop the American League standings. It’s their first win this year in which they trailed entering the ninth inning in 42 tries.
Jorge Mateo’s speed sparked the Orioles’ two-run third inning. Starting at shortstop with left-hander Reid Detmers starting for the Angels, Mateo hit a one-out single, stole second with ease for his 27th swipe of the season and sprinted home on Adley Rutschman’s single for the game’s first run. Ryan Mountcastle then singled home Rutschman to double the Orioles’ advantage.
Dean Kremer wasn’t as sharp as he’s been recently, ending his streak of quality starts at four. He scattered four hits and three walks — just his fourth time issuing three or more free passes in 28 starts — while striking out five in 4 2/3 innings. But he didn’t allow a run to lower his ERA to 4.07.
Cionel Pérez replaced him with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, inducing an inning-ending ground ball. The left-hander then retired the first two batters in the sixth to continue his recent string of success. Pérez hasn’t allowed an earned run since July 26.
Jorge López, the club’s newest bullpen addition, got the final out of the sixth but gave up two runs in the seventh — the first by himself on a Brandon Drury double, the second by Danny Coulombe on a Mike Moustakas single.
Former Angel Jacob Webb then gave up a go-ahead single to Trey Cabbage in the eighth, putting the Orioles’ bats in need of a comeback. They delivered, with pinch-hitters Adam Frazier and Ryan O’Hearn coming through with a one-out double and an RBI single, respectively, to tie the game. Mountcastle then gave Baltimore a one-run lead on a strange ground ball single, one that Drury didn’t even move for at second base.
But the bullpen blew another lead in the ninth, with rookie DL Hall allowing a two-out single to Mickey Moniak that sent the game to extras.
This story will be updated.
Orioles at Angels
Wednesday, 9:38 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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