WASHINGTON — After Craig Kimbrel’s ninth-inning problems resurfaced, the Orioles needed a lift. Then, after the Nationals erased a two-run deficit in the 11th, they needed another.
The Orioles got both on go-ahead swings by Ryan Mountcastle and Jorge Mateo in a chaotic, seesaw 7-6 victory over Washington in 12 innings Wednesday night.
The Orioles entered the ninth with a 3-1 lead, handing the ball to Kimbrel for the first time since he was pulled with two outs in a save situation Saturday. The veteran closer gave it back under similar circumstances, unraveling with two outs in the ninth against the bottom of the Nationals’ lineup. No. 8 batter Eddie Rosario took him deep for a solo home run and back-to-back hitters drew walks against him, forcing manager Brandon Hyde to pull Kimbrel one out short once again. Left-hander Keegan Akin allowed CJ Abrams to drive in the tying run with an RBI single to send the game to extra innings.
“We’re going to stick with him,” Hyde said of Kimbrel, who is tied for fifth in MLB history with 425 saves. “This guy has got a big-time track record. He’s a Hall of Famer and we need to get him right. He’s big for us. So, it’s important that we get him right.”
Mountcastle appeared to put the Orioles (24-12) ahead for good with a two-run homer off former teammate and good friend Hunter Harvey in the top of the 11th, but Washington battled back to score twice in the bottom half of the frame on a ground-rule double by pinch hitter Ildemaro Vargas and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jacob Young.
Mateo originally squared to bunt before driving in the winning run with an RBI single off reliever Jordan Weems in the 12th. The second baseman also scored a key insurance run on a wild pitch for good measure after the Nationals recorded two defensive errors to throw the game away.
“We’re not trying to do too much,” Mateo said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Just trying to focus and having the confidence that even if we don’t get the job done, the next guy is going to come up and get it done for us. So, that speaks to the confidence we have in each other.”
Albert Suárez pitched a scoreless 10th before coughing up the 5-3 lead in the 11th. Jacob Webb entered in the 12th and allowed one run before recording his second save of the season. With the win, the Orioles extended their streak of not being swept in the regular season to 103 consecutive series, the longest in American League history and the MLB’s longest since World War II.
Kimbrel has failed to finish the ninth inning in four of his past five outings, allowing six earned runs and recording three blown saves since starting the season with an 0.82 ERA over his first 11 games. The Orioles’ most significant free agent signing of the offseason was acquired to step in for the injured Félix Bautista, last year’s winner of the Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year Award. But Kimbrel has now blown more saves in the past two weeks than Bautista did over his final three months of 2023.
“I think he’s going to be fine, man,” Webb said. “He’s a Hall of Famer in my book and being around him every day and watching what he does, I think we have all the confidence in the world.”
Bradish impresses in second start
Right-hander Kyle Bradish, an afterthought by game’s end, made his second start of the season after his return Thursday from a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He pitched five innings of one-run ball in yet another strong outing for an Orioles starter.
“I didn’t think he had his best command today too,” Hyde said. “This is a second start. The velocity was great. The movement is awesome. Just a little bit inconsistent, which was expected of a guy that this [was] his second start in the big leagues this year. But his…
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