Beavers made the most of his 10th-inning green light to complete the comeback for Baltimore.
Craig Albernaz had a fairly simple choice in the bottom of the 10th inning.
With Leody Taveras standing at second as the automatic runner and Bryan Baker coming in for Tampa Bay, the Baltimore Orioles could have played for the obvious move. Bunt the runner over, put pressure on the defense and try to find a way to bring him home from third.
Albernaz decided he trusted Dylan Beavers more than the situation called for.
“I said, Beaves, you can bunt if you want, but ultimately, I trust you swinging the bat,” Albernaz told reporters postgame via MASN.
That decision paid off in a hurry.
Beavers fell behind Baker 0-2 before getting the opportunity he was looking for. He went down and drove a 2-2 changeup into deep right field, allowing Taveras to score without a play and giving the Orioles a 3-2 victory over the Rays at Camden Yards.
For Beavers, the at-bat wasn't really about trying to do something spectacular. He knew what the situation required and was willing to work from there.
“I was just trying to get something in play, move the runner over,” Beavers told reporters postgame via MASN.
That was the mindset even after Baker got ahead in the count.
Beavers expected the Rays closer to challenge him with fastballs up in the zone, particularly with his changeup already part of the equation. Rather than trying to cover everything, he decided to sell out for that pitch and adjust if necessary.
The result was his second walk-off of the season and the fourth walk-off RBI of his 110-game major league career.
The bigger reason Albernaz was comfortable giving Beavers that freedom was what happened before he ever stepped into the batter's box.
The manager said he had already been talking with Beavers when Baker began warming up, knowing the outfielder would be the one coming off the bench in that spot. Albernaz told him he could bunt, but if he swung, he wanted him looking to pull the ball so Taveras would have a chance to advance even if the at-bat ended in an out.
That left Beavers with room to make the decision himself.
“I trust my players,” Albernaz said. The trust mattered because Beavers was not the only pinch hitter to make an impact Saturday.
Samuel Basallo came off the bench in the eighth inning and tied the game with a two-run homer, a 411-foot shot that erased a 2-0 deficit. Basallo had spent the day preparing despite not being in the starting lineup, something he said he does to make sure he can contribute whenever his opportunity comes.
Albernaz said that preparation is part of what makes Baltimore's bench useful in these moments. His players know they may not start, but they also know they can still change the game.
That mentality showed up again in the 10th.
Beavers, who said the Rays have consistently given the Orioles tough games, was ready when his chance came. Baker was hardly an easy matchup, entering with more saves than anyone in baseball, but Beavers stayed with the at-bat long enough to find the pitch he could handle.
Now just a single game out of the final Wild Card spot, Baltimore will hope they can get a few more clutch moments out of Beavers to help fuel the postseason push.
