Taylor Teagarden, 2013 Orioles Postcards

I still think that Taylor Teagarden's 13th-inning two-run homer off of Joaquin Benoit on July 14, 2012 was the most unlikely walkoff home run I've witnessed in person at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. But tonight's 10th-inning, one-out, full-count, solo home run by David Lough against Koji Uehara sure gives Taylor a run for his money. Lough was only in the game because he'd pinch-run for Travis Snider in the eighth inning and stayed on as the left fielder. The O's seemed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the ninth inning, as the Red Sox scored the tying run off of Zach Britton without hitting a ball out of the infield. Brad Brach added to the misery in the top of the 10th by allowing a go-ahead solo homer to Xander Bogaerts on his first pitch. But Adam Jones greeted Koji with a leadoff triple in the home half of the inning. When Chris Davis followed with a sac fly to re-tie the score, Buck Showalter pulled back would-be pinch hitter Steve Pearce and allowed Lough to bat for himself. Good call, as he battled Boston's closer to a 3-2 count before depositing a 76-mph splitter onto the flag court for the win. Something magic happens.

Steve Pearce, 2013 Orioles Postcards

Steve Pearce broke out of his second-half doldrums today, helping the Orioles avoid a sweep at the hands of the Indians. The journeyman led off the sixth inning with a double and scored the tying run, sparking a two-run rally to give the Birds a lead they would not relinquish. He also provided some welcome insurance with his 12th home run, a solo shot in the seventh inning that was positively crushed.  According to the MASN broadcast, the MLB average speed for a ball struck off the bat is 77 mph; Pearce's blast against Chen-Chang Lee was over 100 mph. Chris Davis also had two extra-base hits, a pair of doubles. The second of those put the O's up 2-1. Jonathan Schoop's 12th homer made it 4-1, which was the final score. Kevin Gausman struggled with his control but permitted only two hits in six innings, and Darren O'Day, Andrew Miller, and Zach Britton each tossed a scoreless inning in relief. That's 70 wins for Baltimore, a number they didn't reach once between 2007 and 2011. This isn't your slightly older cousin's Orioles team.