Sacramento A’s catcher Willie MacIver (65) puts the tag on Baltimore Orioles Jeremiah Jackson (82) in the bottom of the fourth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Sun Aug 10, 2025 (AP News photo)

Athletics Stun Orioles 3-2 with Late-Inning Heroics in Camden Yards Thriller

By Mauricio Segura 

The Athletics spent most of Saturday afternoon looking for the big hit that just wouldn’t come. For eight innings at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the A’s offense was a story of scattered singles, long outs, and missed chances. Then, in the top of the ninth, everything changed. A lineup that had been held to a single run suddenly found the clutch bats they had been searching for, and when the dust settled, the Green and Gold had stolen a 3-2 victory from the Baltimore Orioles.

For much of the day, the two clubs traded small jabs rather than haymakers. The early innings were defined by free passes and stranded baserunners. In the top of the first, Shea Langeliers popped out to start the game, Brent Rooker flied to center, and after a Nick Kurtz walk, Colby Thomas ended the frame with another pop out. Baltimore’s opening inning was equally frustrating. They drew three walks, including one to Jackson Holliday leading off, but Gunnar Henderson’s stolen base was all they had to show for it before Jeremiah Jackson struck out with the bases loaded.

Sacramento starter Luis Morales didn’t allow a hit through his first two innings but labored with control, handing out multiple walks. Tyler Ferguson came on in relief in the third and kept Baltimore quiet until the fifth, when Jordan Westburg finally broke the scoreless tie. With two outs, Westburg launched his 14th home run of the season, a fly ball that carried into the left field seats to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead.

Up to that point, the A’s only real threat had come in the third when Rooker singled, only for Kurtz to fly out and end it. That changed in the top of the sixth. Rooker, again the spark, doubled to left and moved to third on a groundout. Colby Thomas delivered the first RBI of the day for Sacramento, bouncing a sharp single into left to bring Rooker home and tie the game 1-1.

Justin Sterner and Sean Newcomb handled the sixth and seventh, but the bottom of the seventh saw the Orioles reclaim the lead. With the score still tied, Alex Jackson doubled on a ball the A’s unsuccessfully challenged for being foul. After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Coby Mayo ripped a double to center, scoring Jackson for a 2-1 Baltimore advantage. Sacramento avoided further damage thanks to Luis Urías’ unassisted double play, but the A’s trailed heading into the late innings.

Dietrich Enns and Keegan Akin kept the A’s bats silent in the seventh and eighth, and by the time the ninth rolled around, the Athletics needed a rally against Baltimore’s bullpen to avoid defeat. Darell Hernaiz worked a leadoff walk to set the table. JJ Bleday struck out, but Gio Urshela’s sharp single to left pushed Hernaiz into scoring position. Manager Mark Kotsay made the call for speed, sending in Lawrence Butler to run for Urshela. That move paid off almost immediately.

Willie MacIver, who had been active defensively all afternoon, turned the game on its head with one swing. He smoked a line drive into the left-field corner for a double, and both Hernaiz and Butler came charging home. Just like that, the A’s were up 3-2, and the dugout roared to life.

Elvis Alvarado, who had finished the eighth, handed the ninth to the A’s defense. Greg Allen struck out swinging for the first out, Dylan Carlson grounded to second for the second, and after Holliday worked yet another walk, the game ended fittingly, with Jordan Westburg, Baltimore’s earlier hero, swinging through strike three.

Sacramento’s win was built less on offensive fireworks and more on patience, timely hitting, and keeping the Orioles from breaking the game open when they had the chance. Pitching depth was key, seven different A’s pitchers combined to hold Baltimore to just six hits, with the bullpen striking out eight in relief of Morales. Brent Rooker’s multi-hit afternoon set the tone offensively, and Colby Thomas’ sixth-inning RBI kept the A’s in striking distance. But the lasting memory will be MacIver’s two-run double in the ninth, the hit that turned a frustrating afternoon into a statement of patient triumph.

The A’s return to Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento Monday night starting pitchers for theTampa Bay Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (7-9 ERA 3.77) for the A’s RHP Jefferey Springs (10-7 ERA 3.89) first pitch 7:05pm PT.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

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