BALTIMORE — Austin Hays began to stir within the Orioles’ dugout, grabbing his batting gear and making ready for what could possibly be a crucial plate look within the tenth inning. He was two batters away from doubtlessly stepping into the field in a tie sport.
As Hays headed for the steps, he was stopped and referred to as over by Anthony Santander, who had one thing to say — actually, he was calling a little bit of an inconceivable shot. He simply had a sense Ryan McKennawho was stepping up with a runner on second and one out, was about to finish the competition.
“I instructed Hays, ‘Come right here. Don’t prepare. He’s an animal off the bench,’” Santander recalled.
Positive sufficient, that “animal” got here by way of moments later.
McKenna delivered his first massive league walk-off knock, swatting a two-run homer off Seattle right-hander Justin Topa to elevate Baltimore to a 6-4 victory at Camden Yards on Saturday afternoon. The Statcast-projected 393-foot blast — which McKenna powered the other technique to right-center subject — ended a sport wherein the Orioles had beforehand blown three leads.
After coming by way of with essentially the most memorable hit of his three-year MLB profession, McKenna rounded the bases, tossed his helmet apart as he neared dwelling, flexed his arms and acquired a big splash of Gatorade from the cooler carried by teammate Ryan O’Hearn.
“It’s superior. It’s one thing you attempt to visualize,” McKenna mentioned. “You attempt to be ready for that second. Profitable the sport like that’s at all times candy.”
How did the visualization evaluate to the precise second wherein McKenna was on the heart of the workforce dancing and celebrating round dwelling plate?
“Fairly candy. Fairly superior. Actual positively trumps [it],” McKenna mentioned. “It was thrilling, and [we’re] glad to get the win.”
McKenna hadn’t come into the sport till the ninth, coming into as a defensive alternative in proper subject for Santander (who had a season-high 4 hits, together with one in every of Baltimore’s three homers). McKenna was stationed there when a game-tying dwelling run by Seattle’s Mike Ford sailed into the seats in right-center subject, the results of a uncommon blown save by nearer Félix Bautista.
After the sport went to extras knotted at 4, the Orioles wanted a hero to prevail — and so they have been in a great spot to get one after Mike Baumann labored a 1-2-3 tenth to strand the Mariners’ automated runner at second and maintain the sport tied. McKenna might not have been the obvious option to rise to the event.
Identified extra for his glove than his bat — therefore, why he usually enters video games within the late innings, fairly regularly with out even getting a plate look — McKenna has made solely 18 begins amongst his 58 video games performed this yr. Since Could 21, the 26-year-old had solely three hits over his earlier 28 plate appearances, and so they had all been singles.
However McKenna has introduced loads of worth to Baltimore’s roster, particularly due to the excessive power he spreads all through the workforce.
“He does quite a lot of stuff behind the scenes, like within the dugout so far as choosing up guys and stuff over the course of the sport,” mentioned right-hander Dean Kremer, who allowed three runs (through a trio of solo homers) over a season-high seven innings. “So he’s a giant a part of this workforce.”
That’s what makes it all of the extra rewarding to see McKenna ship in a giant second.
“Simply the sort of individual he’s is phenomenal, and he’s a extremely good athlete — nice athlete — that has helped us the final couple years in quite a lot of methods,” supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned. “So enjoyable to look at him get this second at the moment, and he’s earned it.”
Due to McKenna, the Orioles (46-29) improved to an MLB-best 20-9 in video games following a loss in 2023. That they had misplaced 5 of their earlier eight video games, together with Friday night time’s opener vs. the Mariners — a 13-1 defeat that marked Baltimore’s most lopsided lack of the season.
Nevertheless, that was prior to now, as have been Saturday’s three blown leads, together with Bautista’s uncommon blemish. That’s the fixed mindset of the 2023 Orioles.
“That’s simply our workforce. We’re by no means out of it,” McKenna mentioned. “Our mentality’s at all times, ‘We’re going to win and it’s not over till the final pitch.’”
Baltimore will not be solely a resilient group, however a tight-knit one. The membership has confidence in any one in every of its members to guide it to victory.
It’s why Santander referred to as his shot with McKenna, which he additionally couldn’t have been extra happy to see come true.
“I used to be so blissful for him. He’s been prepared all sport,” Santander mentioned. “When his alternative comes, he’s prepared. I’m so blissful he hit that homer for us proper there.”
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Revealed : 2023-06-25 01:39:57
