Playoff bound! Orioles are back in the postseason for first time since 2016
BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Orioles are playoff-bound!
For the first time since 2016, the O's will be in the postseason.
The Orioles (92-56) clinched a postseason berth Sunday afternoon with Cleveland's 9-2 win over the Texas Rangers.
Not long after, the Orioles rallied to beat American League East rival Tampa Bay, 5-4, on a walk-off in the bottom of the 11th at Camden Yards.
Cedric Mullins RBI sacrifice fly scored Adley Rutschman with the game-winning run.
Tampa Bay led 3-1 in the eighth inning when Rutschman homered to cut Baltimore's deficit in half. Adam Frazier's RBI double in the ninth tied the score.
Despite the Rays scoring in the top of the 10th, Rutschman's RBI single once again evened the score. The Orioles then won the game in the bottom of the 11th.
The Orioles hold a two-game lead over Tampa Bay for first place in the American League East standings.
Baltimore opens a three-game series in Houston on Monday. Tampa starts a three-game series against the LA Angels on Tuesday.
The Orioles were last in the playoffs in 2016 when they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2, in a one-game elimination game.
The last time the Orioles hosted a playoff game was on October 2, 2014. They beat Detroit in a best-of-three series. They were then swept by Kansas City in the American League Championship Series.
The AL Wild Card series starts on October 3. The American League Divisional Series starts on October 7.
