No pain, no gain.
Jorge Mateo endured a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning on Monday, sending the Orioles to a walk-off win over the Rangers.
With Austin Hays on second to start the extra frame at six-all, Texas reliever Matt Moore gave up a bunt single to Rougned Odor and then intentionally walked Ramon Uias to load the bases with Mateo, batting .194, on deck with no outs.
After a first-pitch ball, Moore drilled Mateo’s thigh with a 93.5 MPH fastball, bringing Hays in from third to make it a 7-6 win at Camden Yards.
Thankfully, Hays arrived just in time to help Mateo, who still needed to touch the bag at first, but was clearly in pain from the four-seamer to the leg. Surrounded by his teammates, Mateo hobbled his way to first, where he solidified the win — and got a Gatorade bath for his troubles.
Star rookie Adley Rutschman sent the game into extras with a two-out, two-RBI double to knot the game in the bottom of the ninth.
The victory was the sixth walk-off win for Baltimore this season, adding to a 23-20 run after starting off the season at 14-24.
“We are the kind of group where we are all together,” Odor said. “We are like a family. When you have a team like that, a lot of good things can happen. That’s why we’ve been having those comeback games.”
