BALTIMORE (AP) — When the Orioles face the Phillies, there’s always the potential for an atmosphere like this.
Baltimore and Philadelphia are close enough that it’s an easy trip for fans, particularly during a weekend series. Throw in two teams that are on pace for well over 100 wins this year, and it made for playoff-like energy — at least until an extra-inning rainstorm thinned out the crowd a bit.
Alec Bohm’s two-run double in the top of the 11th inning lifted the Phillies to a 5-3 win over the Orioles on Friday night. There were plenty of Philadelphia fans in the sellout crowd of 43,987 at Camden Yards, and that was the first thing Phillies manager Rob Thomson mentioned after the game.
“First of all, I just want to say we got the greatest fans in the world,” Thomson said. “Those people stayed ’til the end — that was really cool. Our guys really appreciate it.”
It was an electric atmosphere from the start. Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run. The Phillies led 2-1 when Anthony Santander tied it with an eighth-inning homer.
In the top of the ninth, Philadelphia fans had their chance to unload their frustration with Craig Kimbrel, the current Orioles closer who, when he was with the Phillies last year, lost Games 3 and 4 of the NL Championship Series against Arizona. The Diamondbacks won the series in seven.
Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth, to the delight of the Baltimore fans.
Schwarber hit an RBI single in the 10th, but Santander’s throw from right field got pinch-runner Johan Rojas at the plate. The close play was reviewed, but the call stood and Philadelphia had only a one-run lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Cedric Mullins dashed home on a two-out wild pitch by Orion Kerkering. Mullins slid in head first as catcher Rafael Marchán came diving in to tag him. He was initially called out, but that call was overturned via replay and the game was tied at 3.
After that inning, the teams had to wait out a 71-minute rain delay.
“Then you come back and half the stadium’s gone, or more,” Thomson said.
The Phillies struck quickly after the delay with Bohm’s big hit. Now the teams prepare for two more games in this series. They’ll have a hard time topping the opener.
“I think that’s probably the most exciting game that we’ve had this year,” Thomson said. “It was like a playoff game, and the guys responded. So that’s good to see.”
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