All three of the Baltimore Orioles’ World Series wins came handily, never going beyond five games. Many would argue that there’s not really any ‘big’ defining moment from any of them, and rare is it to see clips from these series played on television outside Orioles’ broadcasts.
However, Orioles fans have had many other exciting comebacks and dramatic finishes occur outside the Fall Classic to cherish over the years.
Below is our list of the five most exciting Orioles games of all-time that many fans and bettors alike will remember forever.
October 3, 1979: Orioles 5, Angels 3
After failing to advance past the ALCS in 1973 and 1974, O’s fans were hungry to see Baltimore play late-October baseball once more. They had their chance in 1979 they met the Western Division Champion California Angels.
The teams traded runs back and forth early in the game, resulting in a 3-3 scoreline in the sixth that would need extra innings to be settled. With two men on in the bottom of the 10th, manager Earl Weaver did one of the things he was perhaps most famous for, making a clutch pinch-hitting move. Weaver sent to the plate John Lowenstein, who hit a walk-off home run to left to win the Orioles the first game of the series.
September 6, 1995: Orioles 4, Angels 2
The fact that a meaningless late-season game is perhaps the most beloved one in a franchise’s entire history is truly testament to the power of context and narrative in baseball. Despite the O’s being 20 games out of first in the AL East, millions around the country and world turned in to see Cal Ripken Jr. do something that few thought could ever be done: break Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak.
Although people said the same thing about Gehrig’s, it’s hard to argue that Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive game streak will ever be broken.
source: rsvlts.com
That September night, for the 2,131st game in a row, Cal Ripken Jr. took to the field. When the game reached the middle of the 5th and became ‘official’, a giant banner on the warehouse in the right christened Cal the new consecutive games king. The game was then halted for 22 minutes as the Iron Man received a standing ovation and took a victory lap around Camden Yards, shaking fans’ hands and saluting the crowd as he went. As a cherry on top, Cal went 2-for-4 with a home run in the fourth inning.
This is one of the great things about both being a baseball fan and a baseball bettor: in a given season there’s thousands of games that could turn into one that you’ll remember forever, either because it made baseball history or you scored huge on a bet few others thought would play out. If you want to know more on how to get involved and how you can win money, OnlineGambling.com has all the information on the best sportsbooks for betting online today and also has great baseball tips before you place your bet.
May 17, 1996: Orioles 14, Mariners 13
Despite jumping out to a 7-2 lead after the first three innings, Baltimore allowed Seattle to get back into the game and then some in an early-season inter-divisional matchup. Up still 9-6 after seven, the O’s bullpen surrendered five runs in the eighth and then another two in the top of the ninth, making the score 13-10 Seattle heading into the final frame.
Nasty Boy Norm Charlton came on for Seattle to finish the job, but after a leadoff walk, a Bobby Bonilla double, and another walk to Ripken, Charlton found himself staring down Chris Hoiles with the bases juiced. With a full count and two outs, Hoiles made history by becoming just the 23rd player in the Majors to hit a walk-off grand slam being down three runs.
June 30, 2009: Orioles 11, Red Sox 10
Although a certain Baltimore-Boston game from 2011 (in which the Orioles eliminated Boston from the post-season on the final day of the season) might be fresher in fans’ memories, let us not forget this dramatic comeback against the Sawx that is the largest in franchise history.
A 10-run rally over two innings against Boston in 2009 remains the largest comeback in franchise history.
source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com
After a 70-minute rain delay and being down 10-1 in the seventh, both the fans at Camden Yards and the Orioles themselves had seemingly given up. The last-place O’s began to pull their starters out of the game, and pinch hitting for third baseman Melvin Mora was Oscar Salazar, who hit a three-run home run as part of a five-run seventh inning. Improbably, the bottom of the 8th saw three runs from their first six batters, cutting the score to a single run. With two out in the eighth, Nick Markakis drilled the first pitch he saw to left-center, sending two runs in to score. George Sherrill then worked the ninth to complete one of baseball’s greatest comebacks ever.
October 3, 2014: Orioles 7, Tigers 6
After the Orioles won their first division Championship since 1997, all of Baltimore was starving to see their club make it back to an ALCS. That itch was satiated in an ALDS sweep of Detroit that gave fans one of the most exciting playoff games in franchise history.
An eighth inning, three-run double from Delmon Young would end up winning Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS.
source: sports.yahoo.com
Already up 1-game in the best-of-five series, a rough fifth inning had Baltimore down 6-3 going into the bottom of the 8th. After letting a run score and two more on base, Detroit reliever Joba Chamberlain was relieved in place of Joakim Soria, who immediately walked J.J. Hardy to load the bases. Former Tiger Delmon Young lined a double to send in three runs and give Baltimore the 7-6 lead they would hold onto for the Game 2 win.
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You neglected the game at Memorial Stadium when, in the 9th inning, Tippi Martinez picked off here at forst base.