Walk-Off Wednesday: Wild pitch wins it for the Orioles

Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles are known for magical walk-off moments each season in Camden Yards. The 2014 season was no exception to this. On June 25th, 2014, the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox in a 12-inning thriller, 5-4.

Ubaldo Jimenez got the start for the Orioles. After pitching three complete scoreless innings, Jimenez ran into some trouble in the top of the fourth inning. Jose Abreu lead off the inning for Chicago and went yard to give the White Sox the 1-0 lead.

The White Sox would add a run in the fifth and another two in the seventh. The Orioles entered the bottom half of the eighth inning still down 4-0 due to the dominating pitching performance from White Sox starter Hector Noesi

Back-to-back singles from Nick Hundley and Nick Markakis put runners on first and second with nobody out. After Steve Pearce and Adam Jones both flied out, Chris Davis worked the count and walked to make the bases loaded for none other than the power hitter Nelson Cruz.  With the count at 2-1, Cruz drove a ball that was low and away. All that right fielder Moises Sierra could do was turn around and watch the ball barely clear the top of the right field wall. With one swing of the bat, Cruz tied up the score 4-4.

The score would remain deadlocked until the bottom of the 12th inning. After Hundley earned a lead-off walk, David Lough came in to pinch run for Hundley. Markakis then singled into center field and Lough’s speed allowed him to reach third.

However, Lough rounded third so much that he was slipping and falling back to the bag at third. With the winning run on third, Pearce stepped up to the plate. Luckily for Pearce, all he had to do at the plate was tell Lough to run home because the first pitch that was thrown bounced past the catcher and off the backstop. Lough scored easily and gave the Orioles the 5-4 win and the series win.