BALTIMORE — For the second time in three days, Adam Frazier played a big part in a walk-off win for the Baltimore Orioles.
Frazier dashed home on Mason Englert’s wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Orioles their sixth straight victory, 2-1 over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. The Orioles won for the 10th time in 12 games, this time on a day when Detroit’s Eduardo Rodriguez retired the first 20 Baltimore hitters.
The Orioles managed only three hits but finished off a series sweep with aggressive baserunning and some quality pitching of their own.
“Those kind of wins at the end of the season, they add up. That’s how you make the playoffs,” Frazier said. “A lot of good teams can win the series, but to sweep the series is hard to do.”
Frazier drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth Friday night with a groundball to the right side. This time he pinch-ran as the automatic runner and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Detroit brought an outfielder in to use as a fifth infielder, but Jorge Mateo never had to swing the bat. The first pitch to him from Englert (0-1) skipped away and Frazier scored.
The Tigers left 13 men on base, including three in the 10th after Orioles manager Brandon Hyde issued two intentional walks. Those allowed left-hander Keegan Akin (1-1) to face lefty hitters.
After a leadoff groundout by Matt Vierling moved the automatic runner to third, Eric Haase was walked intentionally. Zach McKinstry struck out, and then Spencer Torkelson was given a free pass, loading the bases. Nick Maton ended the threat with a popup.
Rodriguez’s bid for a perfect game was broken up by Ryan Mountcastle’s two-out single in the seventh, but that was the only baserunner he allowed in seven innings. The veteran left-hander struck out six.
Torkelson hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth to put the Tigers up 1-0, but pinch-hitter Anthony Santander doubled home a run to tie it in the bottom half — with the speedy Mateo scoring from first ahead of the relay on an aggressive send by third base coach Tony Mansolino.
Rookie starter Grayson Rodriguez pitched five scoreless innings for the Orioles, allowing five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. A double-play grounder helped him get through a jam in the second, and the Tigers left the bases loaded in the third when Torkelson’s liner was caught by a tumbling Ryan McKenna in right field.
“The focus today was just to go out there and attack every inning like you’re the closer,” Grayson Rodriguez said. “Three outs and then worry about the next one.”
Grayson Rodriguez allowed four runs in the first inning of Sunday’s win over the Chicago White Sox. Since then, Baltimore’s starters have yielded only one run total in five games.
SLUMPING
Maton hit a walk-off homer April 14 against San Francisco. Since then, he’s 1 for 26 and hitless in his last 22 at-bats.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Mateo returned to the lineup after missing two games with right hip discomfort.
UP NEXT
Detroit heads to Milwaukee for a three-game series. Matthew Boyd (0-1) starts Monday night for the Tigers against Colin Rea (0-0).
Baltimore hosts Boston on Monday night. The Orioles send Dean Kremer (1-0) to the mound against Chris Sale (1-1).
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