Baltimore Orioles clinch playoff berth for 2nd straight season

NEW YORK (AP) — Still 2 1/2 months shy of his 21st birthday and the legal drinking age, Jackson Holliday was given his own brand of bubbly in the jubilant Baltimore Orioles clubhouse: a bottle labeled “Baby Bird Bath Water" left in a bucket with his No. 7 jersey and a sign: “BABY'S FIRST CLINCHMAS 2024.”

“It's a little bit more enjoyable for me,” the rookie said, clutching the non-alcoholic postprandial in Tuesday night's celebration at Yankee Stadium while teammates chugged from the tubes of the Orioles Hydration Station. "I was hoping that I could get in on the fun."

Baltimore is headed to the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the 1990s, clinching no worse than a wild-card berth.

After left fielder Colton Cowser gloved Alex Verdugo's flyout to seal a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees that brought Baltimore to the verge of the postseason, the Orioles filed into a visiting clubhouse draped with protective plastic curtains. Nine minutes later, while manager Brandon Hyde was answering postgame questions from media, Carlos Correa took a called third strike that finished Minnesota's 4-1 loss to Miami, assuring the Orioles another trip to the postseason.

“Last year winning the American League East was just such an achievement for us and the expectations were much lower,” general manager Mike Elias said. “We came into this year with higher expectations. We made a lot of moves that kind of pushed some chips in for this year and then we just didn’t have the fortune that we would have hoped for. I think today is a sense of relief.”

Coming off their first division title since 2014, the Orioles started 23-11 and were 55-31 before play on July 3 but have gone 32-39 since, slowed by a series of injuries. The Orioles had topped the division alone for 62 days and opened as much as a three-game lead.

Baltimore’s pitching staff lost Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells to elbow injuries that led to operations. Grayson Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since July 31 because of a lat problem.

“Not a lot has gone right in the last few months," Hyde said. "We're right in every game and things just haven't worked out in our favor. A ton of bad luck, too.”

Dean Kremer, who allowed one run and three hits over five innings for the win, started last year's game against Tampa Bay that assured the Orioles their first playoff berth since 2016. Eleven days later, he got the victory in the AL East clincher, which gave the Orioles 100 wins for the first time since 1980. He then lost the final game of the Division Series as Texas completed a three-game sweep en route to the Rangers' first World Series title.

“This is going to be kind of like a fresh start. We don’t have to grind now,” Kremer said.

As this year's postseason approaches, the Orioles are getting healthier. All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg came back from a broken hand on Sunday, the same day third baseman Ramón Urías returned from a sprained right ankle. First baseman Ryan Mountcastle was activated Tuesday after missing a month because of a sprained left wrist.

Baltimore has formidable power — the Orioles' 228 home runs are second only to the Yankees' 230.

“We know the type of group that we have,” said All-Star right fielder Anthony Santander, whose sixth-inning drive off the right-field foul pole gave him career highs of 44 homers and 100 RBIs.

Baltimore was knocked out in the AL Championship Series in 1996 and ’97. The Orioles (87-70) have only a remote chance of overtaking the Yankees (92-65) for the AL East title — they need to go 5-0 and the Yankees 0-5. But they hold a four-game lead for the top wild card, which would mean playing next week's best-of-three Wild Card Series at Camden Yards.

“I’m hopeful that our luck kind of evens out in the playoffs,” Elias said, "because last year we had the reverse."

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Baltimore Orioles' players celebrate after clinching a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Baltimore Orioles' players celebrate after clinching a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Baltimore Orioles' players drink from the hydration station after clinching a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson celebrates after the team clinched a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Baltimore Orioles' players celebrate after clinching a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Baltimore Orioles' players celebrate after clinching a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday holds a bottle of a nonalcoholic beverage during post-game celebrations after the team clinched a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. Holliday is the only member of the Orioles not of legal drinking age. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday is doused with beer as teammates celebrate after clinching a playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees in baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jacob Wilson's single with one out in the ninth inning gave the Oakland Athletics a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night in the opener of their final series at the Coliseum.

Zack Gelof stole second after leading the inning off with a single, and Wilson hit the first pitch he saw off Josh Sborz (2-2) into center field for the A's eighth walk-off of the season. A's closer Mason Miller (2-2) escaped a first-and-third jam with one out in the top of the ninth to keep the game tied.

Wilson, a 22-year-old rookie, said it was special that he could possibly record the last walk-off hit at the Coliseum, the A's home since 1968.

"That would be pretty cool to know that my first (walk-off hit) was the last one here," Wilson said.

Jonah Heim evened the score with a solo homer in the eighth after Gelof had given the A’s a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a sacrifice fly. Brandon Lowe’s solo home run cut a 3-1 deficit in half in the fourth, and Texas tied the game in the fifth when Heim was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Tyler Soderstrom had a pair of doubles for the A’s and scored a run.

A loud “Sell the team! Sell the team!” chant rang out in the eighth inning and again when Wilson was being interviewed after the winning hit from the announced crowd of 30,402. The A’s, who will relocate to Sacramento next season ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028, rank last in MLB in attendance this season but have averaged nearly 28,000 fans over their last four home games. The final game at the Coliseum on Thursday is sold out.

“It’s a pretty emotional week ... with everything that’s going on the next couple days," Wilson said. "But we’re going to try and make it as special as we can with the fans and obviously the city, and tonight was pretty special."

A's manager Mark Kotsay was grateful that fans, many of whom posed for photos and took snapshots of the stadium, who attended Tuesday's game left with a walk-off win as perhaps their lasting memory of the A's.

“You can feel the sadness as opposed to the anger,” Kotsay said. “I just hope that the next two days are equally as enjoyable.”

A's starter Mitch Spence, who allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings, called the Coliseum a “one of a kind ballpark.”

“I don’t think there’s ever going to be anything like it,” Spence said. “Taking in the scenery and the environment and what this place has to offer, it's really one of a kind. It’s been a blessing to make my debut (here) and get a chance to experience it all.”

Amid a USA TODAY report that the A’s will increase security at the final home game and that Kotsay was advised to scrap his plan to address the crowd after the game, Kotsay said before the game Tuesday that he hopes the “anger has passed” but that players have been briefed by security. Kotsay added that there are no current plans for him to grab a microphone after the game.

“I don’t think fans are going to want to leave the stadium,” Kotsay said, calling Thursday a “sendoff in a very special way for the fans and for our team.”

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy also held a team meeting and discussed what to do if fans stormed the field after the game. Bochy, who managed Kotsay in San Diego and also won three World Series across the Bay with the Giants, said it’s “hard to believe” baseball is ending at the Coliseum and that he feels for the diehard A’s fans in Oakland.

“That last day, it’s going to be kind of strange,” Bochy said. “Just thinking, this is it. It’s the last game here at the Coliseum with all the history that’s happened here. I feel for the fans, I do. I know there’s a lot of diehard Oakland fans.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: OF Esteury Ruiz underwent successful right knee arthroscopy surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training next year.

Rangers: IF Josh Jung (right wrist tendinitis) was placed on the 10-day injured list. … Utility player Ezequiel Duran was placed on the paternity leave list, but is expected to return before the end of the season … Sborz (right shoulder) was activated from the injured list. … OF Dustin Harris and IF Matt Duffy were called up from Triple-A Round Rock.

UP NEXT

LHP Brady Basso (1-0, 2.33 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the A’s in the second game of the series, opposite LHP Cody Bradford (6-3, 3.59 ERA)

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Texas Rangers' Travis Jankowski, right, walks to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Oakland Athletics pitcher Mason Miller throws to a Texas Rangers batter during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Texas Rangers' Jonah Heim, right, celebrates with third base coach Tony Beasley after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Oakland Athletics' Shea Langeliers (23) scores next to Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim on Zack Gelof's sacrifice fly during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)