Mayo, Encarnacion-Strand lift the Orioles past the Athletics, 4-3 in 10 innings
— Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had two-out RBI singles in the 10th inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Athletics 4-3 on Friday night.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- — Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had two-out RBI singles in the 10th inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Athletics 4-3 on Friday night.
The Orioles pulled within two games of Cleveland for the final AL wild card.
Automatic runner Carlos Narváez started the 10th on second base and rookie Brady Basso (0-1) intentionally walked Pete Alonso with one out. Jackson Holliday struck out after Gunnar Henderson came in to pinch run for Alonso, and Mayo and Encarnacion-Strand each drove in a run for a 4-2 lead.
Brandon Young pitched seven innings and allowed a run on five hits and a walk in a start for Baltimore, leaving with a 2-1 lead. Andrew Kittredge (3-3) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win and rookie Alex Hoppe allowed an RBI single by Zack Gelof before closing out the 10th for his first save.
Athletics starter Jacob Lopez hit Mayo with a pitch leading off the second then walked Leodys Taveras with one out. Dylan Beavers drove in Mayo with a two-out single and Taveras scored on a fielding error by Lopez for a 2-0 lead. Lopez gave up two runs — one earned — on three hits and three walks over five innings.
Jonah Heim hit his 12th homer — a two-out shot off Young in the seventh to cut it to 2-1.
Rico Garcia hit Henry Bolte in the helmet with a pitch leading off the eighth. Jeff McNeil singled and Gelof advanced both with a sacrifice bunt. Lawrence Butler tied it with a single to left, but Beavers threw McNeil out at home plate. Yennier Cano retired pinch hitter Donovan Walter on a flyout to center to keep it 2-2.
Baltimore (66-69) had a streak of 15 straight games with a home run end.
Up next
The Athletics had not announced their starter to oppose Orioles RHP Shane Baz (4-14, 4.04) on Saturday.
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