Another day, another 1-run win. What a phenomenal ballgame. That's a killer for the Rays.

O's one win away from guaranteeing their first .500 season in 15 years.

Machado gets green-lighted 3-0, the O's win their 13th straight extra-inning game and insure their first .500 season in 15 years.

This series with Oakland is gonna be a barnburner.

Why the hell wasn't Wieters swinging on 3-0 in the 13th with the bases loaded, 1 out, AND ONLY ONE FRIGGIN' GUY IN THE OUTFIELD?

Yes, I know it was technically two, but Upton was playing so shallow in center it barely counts.  Anything deep enough to consider tagging up would have him going backwards and make it easy to tag.

Wouldn't it make more sense to walk than hit into an inning ending double play?

To be more clear, at 3-1 with the bases loaded, they STILL have to come to him.   Pitcher can't try to nip a corner in hopes he chases it.   It has to be a strike.

3-0 pitch was a fat fastball right down the middle.  3-1 wound up being a two seemer than ran back over the inside corner.  Wieters took that one, too.  Then he struck out on a high fastball on 3-2 (maybe in the zone, maybe not, it would have been a close call).  I can remember at least 2 other times this season in which Wieters was greenlighted on 3-0 late in games.  When is there a BETTER time to greenlight the guy than when you need only 1 run?

Well not when the bases loaded.   You can look at the AB and say "Strike one was the easier pitch to hit" with some certainty.   But the simple fact of the matters is that conventional baseball wisdom says the pitcher can't screw around more with the bases loaded on a 3-1 count any more than he can on a 3-0 pitch.   A bouncing sinker on 3-1 still walks in the run.

It's just smart baseball to make the pitcher throw a strike in that situation. 

Agreed. When a walk ends the ballgame and you're ahead 3-0, you ALWAYS take 2, even if it's Verlander. If a guy has just thrown you three straight balls in that situation, then you heap the pressure on and make him throw three straight strikes with the game on the line.

This team always plays terrible in AL West parks. I don't know if it's the time difference or what, but they just never seem to be the same team on the West Coast. The only team they've done well against is Seattle, but that's only because the M's have sucked so much. They've just seemed so flat in the last two games.

Another marathon extra inning win as the Os played 18 in Seattle in a game ending after 4am EDT. It never should have taken that long to beat the Ms but a good and needed victory nonetheless, especially with LAA beating Texas and King Felix on the hill today.

12.2 shutout innings by the pen, including 3/5 of the Os opening day rotation.

Bundy is up.

Yup. Good thing Duquette isn't as stubborn as Rizzo

O's and M's headed to extras again. Looks like we may see Bundy tonight after all.

Regardless of what happens, the O's defense in this game has been awesome. McLouth and Machado have really turned this team around. For the first half of the season they led the AL in errors. Since Aug 1 they're near the top of the league in defense and currently have not made an error in 10+ games.

AJ does it again. Guy has some major talent, but I don't know why any pitcher is throwing him anything but low and away sliders right now until he proves he can consistently adjust. His homerun swings are a thing of beauty though. Nice 3-6-1 DP in the 11th as Johnson makes it interesting before tying Randy Myers for the franchise saves record with 45.

15 straight extra inning wins and they now lead Oakland by half a game, with leads of 4 and 5.5 games over LAA and Detroit. Time to keep that Fenway magic going this weekend.